One thousand abandoned cars have been cleared from a seaside town's streets in a long-running drive to banish illegal motors.

People fed-up with untaxed and broken down cars clogging their roads in Hastings and St Leonards, have been inundating a hotline to report them.

The vehicles have been removed since October last year, when Hastings Borough Council took over the DVLA's powers to speed up the process.

The council predicts it will get rid of around 1,400 vehicles a year, double the amount moved between 1998 and 2000.

The authority also hopes to remove cars within 48 hours of being spotted. Council bosses say untaxed cars are a menace because their owners cannot be traced.