Police, local authorities and fire and rescue services have held a joint conference to finalise proposals on how to tackle vehicle abandonment and vehicle arson more effectively.

Vehicles which are illegally dumped and deliberately set alight are an increasing problem for the emergency services and authorities in Devon and Cornwall ; it can cost the taxpayer up to £1,000 to remove and dispose of one burnt out car.

The seminar, being held at the Dartbridge Inn at Buckfastleigh, will look at how the problem is already being tackled in some areas. A common approach to how the problem will be dealt with across the two counties will then be set out.

The proposed introduction of a crime database, designed by WPC Software and already successfully used in Merseyside, will allow all partners to access information from across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to provide a more efficient and co-ordinated approach.

Detective Constable Bob Bunney said: "By concentrating efforts on the information available and sharing data with our partners we will increase the opportunity to tackle this problem at the root.