Diesel vehicles are picking up a larger share of the used car market, according to new figures.

Experian, a provider of financial information, said used diesel cars saw a four per cent rise in sales last year.

This comes against a backdrop of a 50 per cent rise over the last five years.

As well as increasing in percentage terms, diesel cars are also taking a larger slice of the used car market.

"There has been a lot of media attention, not only around the environment and the effect of the most polluting cars, but also on the forthcoming car tax increases and the rise in fuel duty," said Kirk Fletcher, managing director of Experian's automotive division.

"These latter factors appear to have played a more significant role in consumer buying habits over the last few years."

Anyone planning to buy a new car this year is likely to find it hard to obtain a cheap loan because of the effects of the credit crunch.

This means that shopping around for the best car insurance premium takes on added significance.

A recent police campaign in Tayside may help cut the number of car insurance claims in the area, it has been suggested.The force revealed it conducted a 24-hour crackdown on a variety of motoring offe...

Motorists keen to buy a vehicle that can help them protect the competitive deal they have secured on over-50s car insurance may be impressed with the Honda Accord's performance in a recent safety asse...

Thames Valley police stopped more than 550 motorists last week for a range of offences, including driving without car insurance.During the five-day initiative, officers worked with representatives fro...