The number of vehicles with no car insurance which have been pulled over and seized by the police nearly doubled in 2006-07, it has been reported.

According to the British insurance Brokers' Association (Biba), there were 150,000 vehicles pulled over by police last year.

It attributes the rise to police access to the motor insurance database, increased legal power over uninsured vehicles and new automatic number plate reading cameras.

The Motor Insurer's Bureau has reported that uninsured driving costs motorists over £500 million every year and £30 on their car insurance premium.

Graeme Trudgill, technical and corporate affairs executive for Biba, commented that the new police measures have also helped prevent other crimes.

"Usually criminals use a vehicle to aid in their criminal activity and it's quite likely that, being the type of people that they are, they don't bother to buy insurance," he said.

Mr Trudgill claimed that a number of bank robberies have been prevented as police pull over and search uninsured vehicles on their way to the crime.

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