Over to you Maestro: 'Classic' car abandoned in Telford street saved from the crusher by fans
An Austin Morris car which was abandoned in a street in Telford has been saved from the crusher following a social media campaign.
The L reg 1.3 Austin Maestro, which is nearly 24-years-old, was blocking a drive in Dawley Bank and was reported to Telford & Wrekin Council.
The car was taken into a pound.
DVLA checks found there to be no registered keeper and the vehicle was untaxed.
The council announced on Facebook earlier this week that the car faced being destroyed, but it was met with rallying cries to save it.
People posted on Telford & Wrekin Council’s Facebook page that it was a "classic" car and needed to be saved.
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for enforcement, said: “People either love or hate cars from that era.
"While some people referred to the Maestro as a rust bucket and recalled its lack of reliability, they were heavily outnumbered by those who had fond memories, some of whom had previously owned one and really didn’t want to see this one go.”
The case of the abandoned Maestro was part of “#OurDay”, a national social media campaign to show the public the wide variety of work local councils do to keep communities running.
The work of Telford & Wrekin Council’s environmental enforcement officers highlighted the fixed penalty notices they are able to issue for environmental crime.
In the case of an abandoned car it is £200.
The abandoned Maestro was saved at the eleventh hour when the potential keeper of the car contacted the council.
Councillor Overton added: “The threat of the car being crushed shows what can ultimately happen to a vehicle when it’s abandoned.
"If you need to get rid of a car, then scrap it, using one of the many scrap dealers licensed by the council or sell it.”
A list of licensed scrap dealers in Telford and Wrekin can be found at telford.gov.uk/downloads/file/6059/scrap_metal_collectors_register
