‘Abandoned cars can become a real nuisance and a safety hazard’
A badly-damaged Mercedes S320 left parked on the street in Kirk Ella(Image: East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
A man from Kirk Ella has been prosecuted for abandoning a Mercedes car in the village. Graham Michael Bell, of Grundale, was found guilty of abandoning a badly-damaged Mercedes S320 on his street, in September last year.
Bell did not appear before Beverley Magistrates’ Court on Friday, June 24. The case was heard in his absence.
Bell was fined £220 and was ordered to pay £409.06 costs and an £88 victim surcharge – a total of £717.06. The court heard that streetscene enforcement officers from East Riding Council found the Mercedes in Grundale on May 12 last year, following a report from the public.
The car, which had a part missing and damaged front wing, was registered as off-road, despite it being parked on a public road, and its MOT had expired on November 11, 2024. Despite the officers having a conversation with Bell and sending him several letters, he did not remove the vehicle.
The car was therefore deemed abandoned on September 9, 2025 and was seized by the council. Bell was asked to pay a £200 fixed penalty by the council, but when that went unpaid, the case was taken to court.
Abandoning a vehicle is a criminal offence. Where they are parked, the condition they are in, whether they have any mechanical defects or unsafe elements, can all cause a problem for the community.
Carl Skelton, director of streetscene services at East Riding Council, said: “Abandoned cars can become a real nuisance and a safety hazard for those living nearby, so we appreciate it when members of the public report them to us. We can usually resolve the situation with the owners and get them to move the vehicles themselves, but in cases like this, the council will step in to remove them and recover our costs.”
The council deals with vehicles which may be abandoned on both public and private property. Officers investigate and always contact the registered owners to establish whether vehicles are abandoned.
As a result of investigations, most vehicles are removed by the owners; only a few have to be removed by the council. Owners can be issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice for the offence, or a larger fine if the case is taken to court.
For more information or to report an abandoned vehicle visit eastriding.gov.uk
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here .