Many thanks for all your advice. I will get started on this today.

Hi, I'm after some advice, ANY input would be greatly appreciated. I bought a car back in July 2007 in a private sale, taxed up to March 2008. On 7th Dec 2007 the car was clamped and towed for displaying a fraudulent tax disc. This was a complete surprise to me but I didn't seem to have much choice but to go and collect the car from the pound which cost me £265. It was due for its MOT a few days later and failed, which I knew was going to happen & I scrapped the car. When I picked up the car, I said to the bloke at the pound that it was due its MOT and I would probably scrap it. At no point did he say to me that I could sign over ownership of the vehicle, which I only found out afterwards. I tried to report the bloke who sold me the car to the police, who told me that they wouldn't be interested and to tell the DVLA, which I did. They responded to my letter, 2 months later, saying they "cannot become involved in any arrangement made between the seller of the vehicle and yourself". Surely selling cars with fake tax discs is illegal, not really an arrangement with him!!!! In the same letter they really thoughtfully offered me the chance to pay an out of court settlement of £117 for keeping an unlicensed vehicle on the road. What I really need to know is would it be worth my while going to court or will I end up even more out of pocket than I am now? Also, is the DVLA under any obligation to inform a new keeper that the vehicle isn't taxed? I am completely hacked off with the lot of them!! Thanks!