Dozens of illegal cars have been towed and their owners arrested in a police crackdown.

Tow trucks operated by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) have been roaming the streets of Brighton and Hove all week, picking up untaxed cars and motorcycles.

Agency officials have been working with Brighton and Hove City Council and Sussex Police during the operation, which finished on Friday with inspectors visiting Whitehawk.

Doug Redpath, from the DVLA's South-East office in Southampton, said: "We come to Brighton three or four times a year but the problem is getting worse. We picked up 150 cars in five days, which is more than ever before.

"About a quarter of the cars are unroadworthy and some of them are dangerous. The police have sniffer dogs and have found drugs in a lot of the cars, which leads to the owners being arrested."

The team has faced threats of violence from angry owners.

Hamish MacKenzie, the council's highways enforcement officer, said: "We had a BMW with four bald tyres, and one of the front tyres had a big gash in it.

"If that had blown while being driven on a motorway or dual carriageway it could have caused a pile up. It makes no sense because it's a prestige car but it's got no tax, which means it's got no insurance either. No insurance company would pay out on a car that's untaxed so if you're hit by one there's nothing you can do."

Mr MacKenzie said before a car were towed, the DVLA checked whether it was taxed on a national computer database.

The vehicles have been taken to the car pound in Dolphin Road, Shoreham. To get them back their owners need to pay an £80 fine for having no tax and a £120 surety, which they get back if they claim the car within four days. After 14 days the car is crushed but the owner still has to pay the fine, along with the cost of having the car impounded and destroyed.

Loretta Garoghan of Hodshrove Road, Moulsecoomb, had her 1993 Volvo towed away on Wednesday and was left fuming.

She said: "I only bought it a couple of weeks ago.

"I had the insurance sorted out and I was saving up to get the tax. I just feel like they're saying if you're poor and live on a council estate they're going to take your car away."