A TOTAL of 104 drivers in the Bradford district are still on the road despite having 12 or more points on their driving licence.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures also reveal that one of those motorists has 22 points - and that they live in the BD7 area, which includes Lister Hills, Lidget Green and Little Horton.

One motorist in BD13 - including Thornton, Denholme and Queensbury - has 20 points, one in BD3 - Thornbury and Barkerend - has 19, another in BD4 - East Bowling, Tong and Holme Wood - has 18, while two motorists - one in BD18, which includes Shipley and Wrose, and one in BD3 - have 17 points.

Eight drivers in the district have 16 points, 14 have 15 points, 12 have tallied 14 points, five have 13 points, and 59 motorists have 12 points.

The BD18 postcode has the most motorists - 11 - with 12 points or more, according to the statistics.

West Yorkshire-based road safety charity Brake was appalled at the figures saying it made a "mockery" of the points penalty system.

Its spokesman James McLoughlin said: "It is appalling that risky repeat offenders are being allowed to continue driving with so many points on their licence.

"These irresponsible individuals have shown disregard for the law and the lives of other road users, time after time.

"Allowing these drivers to stay on our roads puts innocent members of the public in danger and makes a mockery of the points system.

"Brake calls on the Government to address this situation urgently and ensure all drivers who reach 12 points get automatic bans. Drivers who clock up 12 points have had ample warning to stop breaking the law and avoid disqualification."

Across the district, there are 26,644 motorists with three points or more on their licence - 20,042 of those have three, 4,769 have between four and six, 1,576 have between seven and nine, and 153 have ten or 11.

Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, said: "The ones that are over 12, it does seem absurd. However, it is for the courts to decide - the cases that go beyond 12 are usually exceptional circumstances."

He added: "I don't think yet there is too much cause for alarm. However we don't want the public to begin to believe there is one rule for them and one for everyone else.

"When it comes to more serious things like drink-driving, I think one might make a different view to someone who is a persistent speeder. Even so, there are no excuses for going beyond 12. But as the figures show, most people get the message at three or six."

David Ward, MP for Bradford East, said: "We have had this before and each time you just cannot understand what the circumstances could be. We know that in the past that someone has pleaded 'I need it for my work'.

"But what is the point of having the penalty as a deterrent if these people think by giving a good excuse they can just get round it?"

He added: "You could maybe understand one or two, but how can you have 104? It is very difficult to understand.

"To be a deterrent you have got to know there is a sanction there."

A DVLA spokesman said: "DVLA's role is to record the information provided by the courts.

"The courts are able to use their discretion to decide whether or not to disqualify a driver."