Nearly 240 untaxed vehicles have been clamped in and around Norwich in just over a week.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said their partner NSL had carried out a crackdown in the area since August 13, snaring 237 untaxed vehicles.

A DVLA spokesman pointed out that while 98pc of vehicles are correctly taxed, it was 'right that we take action against those who don't tax their vehicles and then drive them otherwise it wouldn't be fair to those who do the right thing'.

If a vehicle is clamped, the owner has to pay a release fee of £100 plus, if they cannot prove the vehicle is taxed, a surety fee of £160.

The surety fee is refunded if the motorist is able to show that the vehicle has been taxed within 15 days of the vehicle's release.

But the spokesman added: 'If the release fee has not been paid then we'll impound the vehicle. The release fee will then rise to £200 and there will be a storage charge of £21 per day. Again, a surety fee of £160 must be paid if the motorist cannot show that the vehicle has been taxed.

'DVLA operates a range of measures to make vehicle tax easy to pay and hard to avoid, including online vehicle taxing and Direct Debit. We also continue to send reminder letters to vehicle keepers, which is why it is so important they notify DVLA of a change of address or keeper.'