A PROJECT aimed at ridding the streets of abandoned vehicles has reduced the number of dumped cars by almost 50 per cent.

But while project leaders are delighted by the drastic fall they admit they are baffled as to why the number of stolen cars being set alight has increased during the same period.

Bournemouth council, Dorset Fire and Rescue and Dorset Police combined to launch Operation Car Clear in April, enabling abandoned vehicles to be removed for free in a bid to prevent them becoming targets for vandals and arsonists.

Figures released yesterday reveal that between April and September, 376 abandoned vehicles were reported and removed - a massive decrease on the 758 collected between April and September 2003.

Now the next stage of the initiative will concentrate on tackling the number of vehicles being set alight, after it was revealed that the economic and social costs of dealing with vehicle fires are around £51,000 per month.

Sian Jenkins, the council's partnership officer for community safety, said: "The feedback from all those involved in the scheme and residents is that the car clear scheme is making a difference to quality of life in the community.

"But there are new challenges facing us around stolen vehicle fires and grassland fires, so plenty for us to concentrate on.

"We don't have any explanation as to why the number of vehicles being set alight has increased.

"But we have an arson task force and some money from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister that can be used to find out what's going on with these stolen vehicle fires."

First published: October 30