North Tyneside scrap dealer 'idiotic' for car on van plan

The scrap van was stopped near Holystone roundabout in North Tyneside on Monday

A scrap dealer who balanced a car on top of old tyres and scrap metal in the back of his flat-bed van has been dubbed "idiotic" by Northumbria Police.

Officers stopped the dealer near the Holystone roundabout in North Tyneside on Monday after spotting the Volvo "precariously perched" on his truck.

"We don't need to explain why this is so dangerous and there is no excuse," a police spokesman said.

The man was issued with a prohibition notice and the car was seized.

Police said the owner would have to prove it can be removed appropriately before they are allowed to have the car back, and they will have to pay police storage costs.

The force spokesman said: "This is one of the most idiotic things we have seen on our roads."