LEGAL notices could be served on the owners of abandoned vehicles this week after complaints about stripped-down hulks being left in Ronkswood.

Worcester City councillor Mike Layland has shown environmental health officers the vehicles left behind a row of homes in Medway Road.

"There are five shells of vehicles and one complete vehicle," said Coun Layland.

"People have also dumped car batteries and a load of tyres."

As well as blighting the area, he feared the waste would attract vandals and arsonists.

Worcester City Council's principal environmental health officer Martin Gillies said the vehicles were all on private land.

"That means we would need permission to serve notices on the owners of the vehicles," he said.

Contractors

"We're going to speak to one lady about the issue this week."

The notices would require the vehicles' owners to remove the cars within seven days.

Should the orders be ignored the city council could ask its contractors to tow away the cars.

They would be stored in a compound for 21 days. After that they would become the contractors' property.

"However, it may be that the landowner has given permission for these vehicles to be left at the site," Mr Gillies said.

"If that's the case, there's little we can do."

But he said the council could still act over the rubbish strewn around, giving a time limit by which the waste ought to be cleared up.

Mr Gillies said the numbers of vehicles abandoned in Worcester were "rocketing".

"The problem is the scrap value of cars has plummeted and now scrap dealers will charge motorists for removing vehicles," he said.