RAY Mallon is a man who is well known for shooting from the hip – and he is certainly shooting from the hip when it comes to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

He has accused the Government agency of operating a “scam” in generating millions of pounds in fines from motorists without having the necessary legal procedures in place.

“I intend to do everything in my power to expose and dismantle this organisation piece by piece,” he tells this newspaper today.

Strong stuff, indeed, from the former detective once known as Robocop and now the elected Mayor of Middlesbrough.

Mr Mallon will today write to the Department of Transport in protest, and he intends to call for a police investigation.

In the face of a legal threat for failing to register the sale of their vehicles, most people would feel pressured into paying the £50 fine without asking too many questions.

The DVLA has raked in more than £3m in out-of-court settlements from British motorists in the past three years. That’s a lot of money.

But Mr Mallon is not like most people and, while studying demands sent to his daughters, he passionately believes that he has uncovered serious flaws in the methods used by the DVLA to collect the fines.

As a former high-ranking police officer, he should have an understanding of the law. He also has access to lawyers, so his challenge should not be underestimated.

If he is proved wrong, he will have a great deal of egg on his face. But if he is proved right, it will be a significant embarrassment to the DVLA and the Government.