Removing and towing of vehicles

How to recover your vehicle if it has been towed away.

Croydon Parking Services may remove or relocate a vehicle if it:

  • is subject to a Blue Badge Fraud or misuse investigation
  • is abandoned or displaying features that would indicate the vehicle has been abandoned
  • the vehicle is untaxed or without current MOT or insurance
  • has several unpaid penalty charge notices (PCNs) that have not been contested or resolved
  • is causing an obstruction on the public highway
  • is blocking a driveway or a dropped kerb
  • has a DVLA or police request for removal
  • is failing to display vehicle ID VRN (Vehicle Registration Number Plates) or VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)

If you believe your vehicle has been towed

Contact 'TRACE' online or call free on 0300 077 0100. You will be advised where collect your vehicle. 

You must: 

  • make an appointment to collect the vehicle
  • pay the release fee in person at the car pound, you cannot pay by phone or online

Payment can be made by Mastercard or Visa Credit, Visa Debit.

A daily storage fee will be charged for any vehicle not collected within 24 hours. This will be added to the existing fees owed.

How to collect your vehicle

You will need to provide identification to prove that you are the registered keeper of the vehicle before it will be released to you. 

You must bring:

Your name and address must be consistent across all 3 documents to ensure that we release the vehicle to the registered keeper.

Croydon Council or our agents will take all reasonable measures to contact the registered keeper of the vehicle. The vehicle will be disposed of if it is not collected within a reasonable period.

After the vehicle is released

If the vehicle is released and it is still classified as unroadworthy (untaxed, no MOT or insurance), the driver will take full responsibility for driving an unroadworthy vehicle on the highway.

Vehicles will be removed, stored, disposed of under the following legislation:

We will continue to pursue the registered keeper of any vehicles following release where there remains uncontested and unpaid debt.

Croydon Council Enforcement Agents will, under certain circumstances clamp vehicles where debt is owed to us, prior to removal.