THE number of vehicles being seized for having no insurance has risen in the past year according to Kent Police.

Figures released by police in Mid Kent show a total of 334 vehicles were seized across Swale in 2006, compared with 413 vehicles seized in 2007.

The rise in numbers follows a series of joint operations between police and other agencies including Swale Borough Council, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Inspector Geoff Wyatt said: “These figures show our determination to make the roads safer.

“On average in Swale, we take a car off the streets everyday.

“Drivers cannot afford to have a lax attitude towards safety and driving with no insurance is dangerous and breaking the law.”

He adds: “We now have the ability to deploy an ANPR (Automatic number plate recognition) vehicle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which allows officers to immediately identify vehicles that are being driven without insurance.

“There is no hiding place for the uninsured. We will catch you.”

Alan Newman from Swale Borough Council’s Community Safety Partnership said: “These figures show that too many still disregard the consequences to themselves and to others of driving without insurance.

Police said untaxed vehicles can also be reported to the DVLA by phoning the national hotline on 0800 0325 202.