WYRE Forest is bracing itself for an explosion of abandoned cars which could reach as many as 30 a week in the coming year, it has been revealed.

Council leader Mike Oborski said the number of wrecks and write-offs was likely to rise from 866 so far this financial year to 1,500 by the end of the year.

And the scale of the problem, which will be considered by the council's executive committee next Thursday, means more staff will probably have to be taken on to tackle it. The cost to Wyre Forest taxpayers for getting rid of abandoned vehicles is set to soar to a massive £40,000 a year - nearly treble last year's figure, it has been revealed.

Mr Oborski said: "It's all money and it's money which is going straight down the drain; it's not achieving anything."

His comments follow the abandoning, stripping and gutting of a red Ford Escort in Dunbar Close, Offmore Farm Estate over the weekend.

The vehicle was left on Saturday, "trashed" later that night when the rear wheels were removed, and it was left supported on an "unstable" jack, and set on fire on Sunday.

Mr Oborski said the arson attack which was "bound to happen", had posed a real risk to neighbouring cars and properties just off the top of Longfellow Green.

He added: "We're told the Government is bringing in legislation to enable councils to move car wrecks within 24 hours - we're desperate to see that brought into place."

He said the cause of the problem was twofold: there was the loss of scrap value for old cars which meant it now cost owners to get rid of them and a "vogue" among youngsters for taking cars and setting them on fire.

Mr Oborski added that under current legislation, the council was obliged to fix a notice to an obviously abandoned and unusable vehicle and wait for a week in case the owner wanted to claim it. "This situation is ludicrous," he said.

Environment chief Rob Key said the number of reports of abandoned cars was "beyond belief" and was diverting staff and cash from other essential work.