The Lothians are amid a blitz of seizures as police clamp down on illegal drivers, reported to be as much as 200 cars and motorbikes per month.

Any drivers who have been caught without valid insurance, tax or driving licence have had their vehicle seized since June 2006 under new powers they have been granted. This is enabling police to tackle some serious dangers on the road, preventing many accidents and incidents.

Almost as many as half the vehicles seized have ended up being scrapped by police. Once seized owners have to pay £105 removal fee, in addition to the £12 per day storage charge which stands if you want your car returned. They must also present valid tax, licence and car or bike insurance documents.

In the six months following the increased power for police to act against illegal drivers, police seized 400 vehicles. Officers now predict they are seizing an average of 200 cars per month and confiscating 3000.

Owners often fail to reclaim their vehicle which is why half are destroyed or sold on by police. The majority of seized vehicles were destroyed, and the few which are good enough to be sold on go towards storage costs for the impounded vehicles.

Motorist groups are supporting the heightened police powers as they believe accidents on the road are being dramatically cut. The six month blitz has also, according to senior officers, uncovered other criminal acts such as drug possession, police intelligence has also been heightened on many criminals.

Only 56% of drivers actually pay the fine which releases their vehicle, many of which are bought cheaply at auction. David Legge, a retired police inspector who now works as the force's vehicle recovery liaison officer said: "This legislation is among the best tools in our toolbox.

"The whole ethos of the road policing branch is to prevent accidents. If a driver has the mindset where they don't have a licence or pay insurance, they are more likely to be involved in an accident. They are also more likely to be involved in future criminal offences involving the vehicle.

"There is also a big annoyance factor for an innocent driver caught up in an accident with an uninsured driver. Taking those individuals off the roads is better for everyone. Although we are seizing a large number, the figures have so far shown so signs of abating.

"Nowadays, vehicles, particularly those bought at auction, are a cheap commodity and without paying insurance there are only petrol costs."

Across the whole of Scotland, more than 1,000 vehicles are confiscated each other. As well as the new police power this is due to the new automatic number plate recognition technology available to police officers.

A large proportion of the drivers who have their cars seized for driving illegally in Scotland are immigrants from Eastern Europe. Many of these Eastern European immigrants are not aware that Scotland carried stricter driving regulations. Although some are deliberately looking to cut their cuts by cutting corners, using their lack of local legal knowledge as an excuse when they are caught.

Chief of AA, Neil Greig, supports the new stricter law. He said: "This is certainly good news. Uninsured and unlicensed drivers are a pain the neck to the majority of law-abiding motorists.

"It has also been shown that these illegal drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents so this makes the roads safer."