ARSON attacks on cars in Hartlepool have plummeted as a result of a clampdown on abandoned and nuisance vehicles across the town.

Hartlepool Borough Council's neighbourhood action team, which has a wide-ranging clean-up brief, carries out regular operations to identify such vehicles and remove them from the streets.

Neighbourhood action manager Craig Thelwell said: "These vehicles are often used by people to commit crime, and those that are abandoned become easy targets for arsonists.

"By removing them from the streets we are reducing the likelihood of them being set on fire.

"As well as reducing the amount of time spent by the fire brigade dealing with such incidents, this initiative is also helping to make local communities safer and better places to live."

So far this year, 150 vehicles have been removed from town streets, while the figures for 2003/04 and 2004/05 were 457 and 450, respectively.

Cleveland Fire Brigade said the clampdown was proving to be the major factor in reducing arson attacks on vehicles.

Figures show that so far this financial year, there have been 39 deliberate car fires. There were 112 in 2004/05 and 262 in 2003/04.

Tony Dale, manager of Hartlepool's Stranton Fire Station, said: "Arson attacks involving cars were a major drain on our resources and the time we spent tackling them could certainly have been used more effectively.

"The council's clampdown on abandoned and nuisance cars has certainly been a major factor in reducing this type of fire, and it now means that, as a service, we are able to devote more time to proactive fire prevention initiatives."

Cars removed from the streets are stored for a period of time, determined by their value. During this period, vehicles can be reclaimed upon payment of certain fees, otherwise they are crushed.