The owners of vehicles dumped on park-owned land have been put on notice to claim them or lose them.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the public works minister, said it was “particularly frustrating” that the Department of Parks had to be saddled with the bill instead of auctioning off abandoned vehicles.

Owners were told that they had until March 8 to come forward, or the vehicles would be disposed of.

“Repeated efforts” to contact owners via the Transport Control Department have proved unsuccessful, with the vehicles going unclaimed for 30 days.

The make and licence numbers were given as:

• 51345 Volkswagen

• 27300 Opel

• 37660 MG

• 11530 Opel Station wagon

• 03877 Opel

• 07383 Chevrolet

Owners should call the department on 236-5902 between Monday and Friday from 9am to 4.30pm.

The department said it accepted no liability for damage or deterioration incurred during transporting and storing them.

Colonel Burch said the island faced “a challenging situation where abandoned vehicles litter our parklands — a cost that, regrettably, falls upon our taxpayers to rectify”.

Present legislation does not grant the Department of Parks the authority to sell off the unclaimed vehicles.

He added: “There's a pressing need for legislative reform to empower our department to manage this issue more effectively and efficiently.

“I strongly believe that updating our legislation would be a step in the right direction for our community and we shall be addressing legislative amendments of our public spaces.”

Owners must settle fees covering towing, removal and storage before claiming their vehicles.

The requirements are mandated under the Bermuda National Parks Regulations 1988, as set by the Bermuda National Parks (Fees) Regulations 2018 Schedule.