Data from BBC News via a Freedom Of Information Request shows that there are now more than 9,000 wheel clampings taking place every month.

This data shows that approximately 5,100 vehicles per month were clamped in the six months leading up to the old paper disc being abolished back in October 2014. It is thought that it is possible that drivers are forgetting to renew their vehicle tax as the old paper variant served as a reminder to do so.

If clamped, car drivers can expect to pay a fee of £100 and cars are then often taken to a vehicle pound where they can face additional fees for every day before the car is recovered by its owner.

The DVLA is cracking down on drivers who have not paid, and utilise a fleet of vehicles fitted with number plate recognition technology to identify road users without valid car tax.

The organisation’s chief executive Oliver Morley stated to the BBC: “The law is that you pay your tax. The vast majority pay with no problem at all.”

In 2014, when the tax disc was removed in favour of an online system, it was hoped the move would save the DVLA millions of pounds a year. However, it was revealed earlier this year that the Government’s income from vehicle tax dropped by £93 million following the switch.

What this quite means going forward for car drivers is still unclear, will the Government decide to increase the cost of vehicle excise bandings? What with increasing car insurance prices year on year, this is not the best news right now for Britain’s motorists.