owners of cars towed away under a council parking blitz are leaving them unclaimed rather than pay penalties of hundreds of pounds.

No one has come forward to settle outstanding charges on more than 30 vehicles following Brighton and Hove City Council's crackdown on yellow line infringements.

Thousands of pounds in penalty charges are owed on the unclaimed cars - at least £200 on each vehicle, with the figure spiralling by £15 every day.

Eventual disposal of the vehicles could trigger more controversy for the city council, whose rigorous campaign against drivers breaching parking regulations sparked a wave of protests from angry motorists following its launch on July 16.

A city council spokesman said 312 vehicles had been towed away.

She said: "At present there are 54 vehicles in the pound. Of these, 31 have been there for more than four days.

"If we haven't had an inquiry after 48 hours a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency search is carried out to trace the owner and a letter is sent. In the next three months a further two letters will be sent and a telephone call made to try to contact the owner.

"If any car hasn't been claimed after three months, we have the power to authorise its disposal and bill the owner for any costs."

Recovering a vehicle costs its owner £125 plus the original £30 fixed penalty.

After one day in the pound, a further £15 per day is added to the bill.

After 90 days the total would reach almost £1,500.

The spokesman stressed: "We will take steps to trace the owners of these vehicles and bill them for outstanding charges and for disposal of the vehicle if necessary. The council tax payer should not be out of pocket."

Motorist Greg Wright's Fiat Punto van has been towed to the pound twice in two weeks, landing him with a bill for £400.

His van was towed away from a residents' parking bay in St Aubyns, Hove, after its tyre burst, making it undriveable.

He said: "The first time I got a ticket it was my own fault although they left no notification to tell me it had been towed away and I thought it had been stolen.

"I didn't have the money to get the vehicle out of the pound and eventually had to borrow £275 from my grandparents to get it back.

"That was after seven days. The day I got it out I was driving along and the tyre blew out.

"I got it back to my house but I still can't afford a resident's permit so I put a massive notice in the window saying I was saving up to get the tyre replaced.

"They towed it away anyway and I've had to find another £155 to get it back.

"A lot of the cars in the pound are old bangers, probably bought for £200, and a lot of people are thinking they'll just leave them there."