THERE are increasing concerns at the amount of cars being found abandoned or burned out across Inishowen.
Since October, Gardaí say there has been a ‘huge amount’ of older vehicles found.
Officers in the area say that it is common practice for young drivers to buy cars at prices as low as €100 or €200, drive them around for a period and subsequently abandon them,
In many cases, the cars are set alight, resulting in call-outs for the local fire service – putting them under needless pressure.
“That puts huge pressure on resources like the Gardaí and the Fire Service,” Sergeant Charlene Anderson said.
Sergeant Charlene Anderson
“There is a lot of work investigating something like this. The fire has to be put out, the vehicle needs to be taken and examined, the chassis number obtained.
“We have seen a huge increase in the amount of vehicles this has happened with. It’s so prevalent at the moment.”
Sgt Anderson has urged people selling vehicles to be aware of their legal obligations.
She said: “When we go to the registered owner, they often tell us they sold the car four or five months beforehand and they can’t remember who they sold it to.
“The seller must satisfy themselves about the identification and the address of the buyer. The seller and the buyer must sign and complete the back of the registration certificate.”
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