British drivers facing foreign fines up 30pc

♦ The number of British drivers pursued for motoring offences committed on the Continent has soared after new EU laws were introduced despite foreign motorists in the UK being able to get off scot-free.

Applications by foreign prosecutors to pursue UK motorists increased by 30 per cent last year to 1,625, according to research by Thomson Reuters.

The rise in requests is being blamed primarily on European laws which allow the sharing of driver details across borders.

However, a quirk of European law means British police are effectively unable to pursue Europeans caught speeding in the UK.

Kevin Mccormac, the editor of legal guide Wilkinson’s Road Traffic Offences, said: “The latest EU legislation means there are now far fewer hiding places for British drivers abroad.”