SEVENTY unwanted cars have been handed in during the first four days of an amnesty to tidy the streets in parts of Suffolk.A two-week amnesty was launched on Monday by Mid Suffolk district council and four days into the scheme 70 cars have been handed in.

SEVENTY unwanted cars have been handed in during the first four days of an amnesty to tidy the streets in parts of Suffolk.

A two-week amnesty was launched on Monday by Mid Suffolk district council and four days into the scheme 70 cars have been handed in.

The council, along with Ipswich Borough Council is running the scheme which offers people the chance to hand in vehicles until Friday, January 28, in an attempt to crackdown on abandoned cars.

Mark Mathews, waste management officer at Mid Suffolk district council, said the response was better than expected.

He said: “We were predicting somewhere in the region of 40 cars at this stage, so this surpasses all our expectations. It's a fantastic response.

“The amnesty is supported by the West Suffolk Crime Prevention Partnership and Endeavour Vehicle Recovery.

“All five Suffolk local authorities involved in this Keep Britain Tidy Group initiative have been very busy.”

In Ipswich, just nine cars have been collected since the scheme began and StreetCare workers said this is due to the low cost of collecting the cars throughout the year.

Glynis Wood, StreetCare customer sales team leader at Ipswich council, said: “We were not expecting too many because we only charge £20 throughout the year and believe people are happy to pay this amount.

“However, it is good to see people are taking advantage of the chance to get rid of them for free and we feel nine cars is a good start.”

Car owners wanting to take advantage of the amnesty can call either council's StreetCare team to register their vehicle for free disposal.

After signing a disclaimer and providing the logbook, the cars will be collected and up to 90 per cent of its materials recycled.

The scheme aims to give people an easy and responsible way to get rid of old cars and vans that could become an eyesore or health risk.

Mid Suffolk district council also runs a voluntary surrender scheme whereby owners can arrange for removal for £25.

The StreetCare team telephone number for Mid Suffolk district council is 01449 778628 or for Ipswich Borough Council is 01473 433000.

n. What do you think of the scheme? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk