South Central trains has instructed a Merstham taxi firm to remove any untaxed cars around Merstham station which local residents and police claim are "unsightly".

The owner of Station Cars leases the land on the north part of Station Approach from South Central trains.

A South Central trains spokesman told the Life that they had issued the tenant with a seven-day removal notice on Monday May 19.

He said: "We can enforce the removal of the vehicles ourselves if nothing is done." But a spokesman from Station Taxis said he did not see that having cars parked there was anybody else's business and that he did not see that the vehicles were a problem.

He said: "We are perfectly legal here.

"Any vehicles that might have been considered unsightly that we are responsible for were moved last weekend."

Merstham beat officer Steve Tarbutt explained that the police are not able to enforce removal of the cars because they are on private land.

He said: "The cars are very old and tatty and make the place look a mess."

And a Merstham Residents' Association spokesman said the cars had been there for so long they had given up trying to do anything about it.

He said they would welcome anything that would tidy the area up: "It's an eyesore and it's not very good for the image of Merstham. We would like to see them removed."

May 29, 2003 10:00