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Motorists travelling in vehicles judged by officials to be unworthy for the road have been warned to get them fixed, it has been reported.

The Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme (VDRS), means that drivers who do not comply risk taking a trip to court to be prosecuted, according to the Sunderland Echo.

A roads conviction can have a serious effect on a car insurance policy, as cover firms could consider a motorist with a history of bad behaviour to be a risk on highways.

The news source added that 157 drivers in Sunderland were convicted under VDRS rules last year, as well as 113 in East Durham.

"If you're stopped for an offence and get your certificate of rectification, your car is still running and nothing more is done about it ... If you don't comply, you're an idiot," commented PC Dave Nixon, casualty reduction officer for Durham.

This comes as the same news source has reported that police in the area are to crack down on motorists found breaking local speed limits.