Younger drivers should make sure they buy small cars if they want to keep their car insurance premiums as low as possible, one industry expert has said.

Graeme Trudgill, technical services manager at the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), says that even though youngsters are usually more keen on a flashier sports car, a small, old vehicle might do them better - as they will do less damage on the road.

"Firstly, the most important thing is to make a sensible choice over the type of car that they choose to have as their first car," Mr Trudgill said.

"On many occasions we see young drivers wanting to buy something sporty. If you buy something that's grouped a level higher it's going to be expensive on insurance and cost a lot of money," he continued.

"It's also very tempting for young drivers to modify their vehicle, put on alloy wheels and things like that, that is a bit of an insurance nightmare and will raise their premium again so best to leave the car as bare as possible."

In terms of age, he went on to say that the "crunch" period is between 21 and 25 - as prices reduce dramatically after this.