DOZENS of cars that have been abandoned for ‘weeks and months’ are causing misery for nearby residents and businesses.

Those who live and work on Dickens Street in Blackburn are in uproar about scores of cars which have been left on the road.

Several cars have been spotted blocking off pavements and access for vehicles.

Yunus Mangera, who has lived on the street for 35 years, said he has had enough of the cars, which most are in poor conditions.

He said: “They’re not taxed, some haven’t had their MOTs, they’ve been left there and they are causing so much hassle.

“People are struggling to park near their house and are having to park around the corner.

“The cars have been dumped here and we don’t know what to do.

“Sometimes the cars are so bad they block the emergency services from getting down here.”

John Breakwell, who works with the Blackburn Rifle and Pistol Club acoustic shooters group at Audley Hall Mill in the street, said: “The businesses are affected on a daily basis but the residents here are affected 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We are asking for a bit of common courtesy and ask those who own the cars to kindly move them so we can all carry on.

“The cars block the pavements and cause lorry and van drivers issues because they can’t turn themselves round easily.”

Sadiq Lunat, who has ran BL Cabinets Ltd in Audley Hall Mill since 1985, said: “The cars started appearing two to three years ago.

“The cars are making people’s lives very difficult.

“Some have been here for weeks, some for months.

“A couple have been here for more than a year.

“They are also attracting large amounts of anti-social behaviour.

“We’ve reported the cars to the council, to the DVLA, but nothing has been done.”

Saleem Hajee, a Dickens Street resident, said: “I’ve logged at least 20 cars with the DVLA, but they tell me to go to the council.

“The council tell me to go to the police as they can’t do anything, who then tell me to go to the DVLA.

“We’re getting passed about, no one is claiming responsibility and it’s us who suffers.

“We want the cars gone.

“I have disabled people in my house and I can’t be parking the car a long way when they struggle to move distances.”

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A DVLA spokesman said: "Our national wheel clamping partner, NSL, goes to different areas of the country every day to take action against untaxed vehicles.

"Where we receive reports of untaxed vehicles we forward them onto NSL so that they can target the vehicle when they are next in the area.

“I should also advise that DVLA takes action direct from our records, so while a vehicle may not have been clamped we may have issued late licensing penalties or out of court settlements direct to the keeper.”

According to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s website, cars should be reported if they are on public land and meet certain criteria.

This includes no MOT, car tax or insurance and show visual signs of being abandoned, including full of rubbish, mould, flat tyres or badly damaged.

All other cars that don’t fulfill this criteria are to be reported to the DVLA, the council’s website states.