Car makes including Ford, Volkswagen and Vauxhall were found to be among the most clamped in the UK in the last year.

A Freedom of Information request to the DVLA from the finance company Anglo Scottish discovered which were the most prominent.

Between April 2022 and May 2023, there were almost 160,000 cars clamped across the UK for being untaxed.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Almost 160,000 cars were clamped in the UK between April 2022 and May 2023Almost 160,000 cars were clamped in the UK between April 2022 and May 2023 (Image: Getty Images)

Top 10 most clamped car makes in the UK

In the data from the DVLA, Anglo Scottish found the most clamped cars in the last year were from:

1. Ford - 24,014

2. Vauxhall - 19,338

3. Volkswagen - 15,123

4. BMW - 11,299

5. Audi - 9,098

6. Peugeot - 7,557

7. Nissan - 6,408

8. Renault - 6,365

9. Toyota - 5,955

10. Citroen - 5,723

Ford car models topped the list of the most clamped cars in the UK during the data window, making up 15% of the overall total.

The second place belonged to Vauxhall car models, with it being 4,676 behind Ford in the car clamping table.

Volkswagen claimed third place, which is perhaps not surprising with it being the UK's second most registered car brand with only Ford topping it.

Dan Reavley, Head of Vehicle Finance at Anglo Scottish, said: “Somewhat unsurprisingly, the most-clamped car brands in the UK are some of the most popular brands in the country by ownership.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Cars on private land cannot be clamped by someone without lawful authorityCars on private land cannot be clamped by someone without lawful authority (Image: Getty Images)

"However, it’s interesting to see Ford ahead by a good distance, particularly when Volkswagen had a reasonably similar market share in the UK in 2020.”

What are the laws related to the clamping of cars?

According to Claims.co.uk under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, vehicles which are illegally parked on roads can be clamped.

It adds: "Clamping of a vehicle on a public highway can only be done by authorised bodies; eg, a local authority, the police or the DVLA.

"Normally vehicles are only clamped on a public highway if the vehicle has no excise licence, or is parked in no waiting area or other restricted areas."

Meanwhile, for privately owned land under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PFA 2012) it is now a criminal offence to clamp, tow, block-in or immobilise a vehicle without lawful authority.

Lawful authority to immobilise or move a vehicle is limited to specified organisations including the police, DVLA and local authorities.