Glass's is calling on the Government to close a legal loophole in the registration system to combat the £37.5m cost to the taxpayer of illegally dumped cars.

Glass's Guide to Older Car Values reveals that 1.5m cars are dumped illegally in the UK each year.

Glass's editor Chris Smith said: “All local authorities which publish figures show increases of around 20% on previous years. Over the last three years the number of cars dumped in Hackney has doubled to more than 10,000. Last year 30,000 were dumped in Kent. Multiply only half this figure by the 90-odd UK counties and the total approaches 1.5m. Each will cost an average £25 to dispose of – a total of £37.5m.”

Someone wishing to dump a car only has to declare on the registration document that it has been sold.

Glass's is calling on the Government to plug the loophole, perhaps by making sellers include the driving licence number of the buyer.

At the same time it suggests councils consider hold 'vehicle amnesties' where they remove an unwanted car for free. One example has seen a 30% reduction in dumped cars.