The average car insurance premium across the North West has surged by more than 15 per cent, according to new figures.

Drivers will now pay an average of £867, the second highest across the UK, behind only London.

At £666, the typical annual premium across Britain is now just over 15% higher than a year ago, a hike of more than five times the Consumer Prices Index rate of inflation at 2.9% in May, Consumer Intelligence said.

Nearly half of this increase was found to have taken place during the three months to May.

Drivers aged between 21 and 24 pay the highest prices on average, at £1,202, but have seen slightly lower annual premium increases at 13.1%. Over-50s motorists are experiencing the biggest rises at 17.9% but pay premiums of £418 typically, the research found.

Motorists in London typically pay the highest average premiums of £1,000 across the country, more than double the £474 average bill in Scotland and the South West of England.