DIESEL STUCK IN REVERSE

CAR sales in the UK fell 3.4pc last month as a slump in demand for diesel vehicles and Brexit uncertainty took their toll.

In a bleak report, the Society of Motor Manufacturers And Traders said 458,054 new cars were registered in March, down from 474,069 a year earlier. Sales of petrol cars rose 5.1pc but diesel fell 21.4pc. Demand for hybrids and electric cars increased 7.6pc, the SMMT added, which have now grabbed a 5.5pc market share.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said there was an urgent need to remove ‘permanently the threat of a No Deal Brexit’.