ABANDONED cars in the Forest, now running at a staggering 1,100 a year, have spurred the Forest of Dean District Council to launch a major war on the dumpers.

"We are going to be much tougher in finding these people and prosecuting them," said council waste chief Amir Razvi, who revealed that he has as many as 200 wrecks to deal with at any one time.

"It is not right that law abiding citizens have to put up with this sort of behaviour any longer," he said.

The cars were not only an eyesore but carried a pollution risk as fluids leaked into the environment, and in may cases they were a danger to playing children who found them a magnet.

He said that he was coordinating a crackdown in cooperation with the police and Forest Enterprise to trace ownership through licensing and registration data and would appreciate the public's help in bringing the culprits to book.

At the same time he planned to outline how people can legally dispose of unwanted vehicles.

Part of the problem is that the scrap value of wrecks has plummeted. Where once the council used to be paid by dealers the council now had to pay to have wrecks taken away. The bills fall unfairly on the council tax payer, he said.

His views were echoed by Jeremy Gissop of Forest Enterprise who said its own response to the problem was toughening considerably.

"It can be disheartening," he said. "After all, the Forest is a resource we all appreciate and want to enjoy.

"If people can help us identify where these vehicles come from we will certainly prosecute."