Fifty of central London's most prolific parking offenders who owe more than £180,000 in unpaid fines are to have their vehicles crushed and recycled.

The vehicles are due to be sent for recycling over the next few weeks and include everything from family cars and small hatchbacks to top of the range models such as a BMW and a Mercedes Benz.

Metal parts have long been valuable but new technology means at least 85 per cent of each vehicle, including oil, tyres and plastic bumpers, can be reused or recycled.

All of their valuable parts will be removed first before the plastics are turned into common everyday household items such as pens, rulers and even mouse mats. Tyre rubber can be used for children's playground surfacing and fuel recovery, glass is mixed with aggregate for road construction and fluids are used in industry.

Westminster City Council's Director of Parking, Alastair Gilchrist, said: “Westminster has some of the highest pollution levels in the UK and a day time population of one million people.

"Rather than rusting away in our car pound we are pleased that these vehicles earmarked for crushing will be recycled and put to good use and in doing so will help the environment in the process."

This is the latest in a number of green motoring projects that complement Westminster City Council's Go Green agenda.
The council has recently helped develop Walkit.com, an innovative project aimed at encouraging people to walk by providing an online map giving the best route to avoid the most polluted streets and provided the largest on-street electric car recharging service in the UK.

Motorists who are classed as persistent evaders spotted parking on Westminster’s streets can expect their cars to be removed and scrapped or auctioned if they fail to pay the outstanding fines.