Merton council officers have removed six abandoned vehicles from the highway on Morden Industrial Estate.

A fall in scrap metal prices across the UK has seen an increase in dumped cars with owners preferring to abandon them by the roadside rather than take them to a scrapyard.

More than 1,400 vehicles were abandoned in Merton last year with the majority of them crushed and recycled.

The council initially try and trace owners to ensure cars has been abandoned with the majority of vehicles removed within a fortnight.

Cllr Ross Garrod, Merton Council’s cabinet member for Street Cleanliness and Parking, said: “Abandoned vehicles cause traffic congestion and take up parking spaces which could be used by other residents.

“Our enforcement team work alongside the police and DVLA to track down the owners where possible and, if not, they are removed from the public highway.

“If a vehicle is burnt out or vandalised we aim to remove it within 24 hours while those in a better state are usually taken away within a fortnight.”