Range Rover with Disappearing Plates Gets Towed
Vehicle was illegally parked near Ealing Hospital
The Range Rover had already been issued with a PCN. Picture: Ealing Council
September 7, 2026
A Range Rover parked near Ealing Hospital without number plates has been towed away by Ealing Council enforcement officers, leaving its owner with a bill of more than £500 to recover it. The vehicle had already attracted a penalty charge notice for parking without a permit in a controlled parking zone, but when officers returned, the PCN had been removed and the car was no longer displaying registration plates.
Despite the missing plates, the council’s parking enforcement team was able to identify the vehicle and arrange for its removal. To reclaim it, the owner was required to pay £450 in release fees and £110 in outstanding fines, bringing the total to £560.
The incident is one of many emerging from Ealing Council’s borough-wide pilot programme to tackle abandoned, unroadworthy and unlawfully parked vehicles on streets and housing estates. The scheme, which began in September 2025, has resulted in more than 1,700 vehicles being removed in the past year, including nearly 200 from council estates. Officers have targeted cars without valid tax, MOT or insurance, as well as vehicles with large numbers of unpaid parking fines.
The council says the impact has been significant. By removing abandoned and untaxed vehicles, parking spaces previously blocked for months have been freed up for residents, and estates that had become hotspots for neglected cars are seeing improvements in safety and appearance. The success of the pilot has prompted the council to explore establishing a permanent, round-the-clock vehicle removal service.
Councillor Dominic Moffitt, cabinet member for climate action, said the results show both the scale of the problem and the council’s determination to address it. “Abandoned and unroadworthy vehicles take up valuable parking spaces, make neighbourhoods look neglected and can attract anti-social behaviour,” he said. “Ealing Council has taken more than 1,700 abandoned vehicles off our streets which shows the scale of the problem and our determination to tackle it. We will continue working across the borough to identify and remove abandoned and unroadworthy vehicles, helping keep our neighbourhoods cleaner, safer and more pleasant for residents.”
The council is reminding residents that the rules for parking on housing estates mirror those on public roads: vehicles must have valid tax, MOT and insurance, be in good working order, and must display registration plates. Cars declared off-road under a SORN notice cannot be stored on estates, and commercial garages are not permitted to operate there.
Once removed, vehicles can be reclaimed from the pound, but owners are liable for towing and storage fees. Unclaimed vehicles are sold at auction or scrapped, with parts recycled where possible.
Residents who suspect a vehicle is abandoned can report it through the council’s website or via the Love Clean Streets app. The council can also remove vehicles from private land with the landowner’s permission, including cars left on driveways.
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