The average insurance premium for drivers in Bradford has risen by 18 per cent in the last year, new figures reveal.

It means that, on average, motorists in the city are now paying £1,266 a year to insure their vehicle.

That is £197 more than the average for this period of 2016, amounting to the highest annual monetary increase in the region.

Other Yorkshire cities have also seen big hikes, with drivers in Leeds and Sheffield paying £83 more for car insurance as premiums ramp up to £967.

The Confused.com car insurance price index is described as the most comprehensive price index in the UK based on more than six million quotes.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “Drivers are really having to dig deep into their pockets to pay for their car insurance.

"Given the recent changes to the Ogden rate and the IPT increase, it is no wonder this price has reached this level."

“However, since April this year, insurers are required to show drivers at renewal what they paid for their car insurance last year. So, being able to compare the amount they paid the year before, and armed with the knowledge that prices are rising across the board, motorists are better equipped than ever to shop around."

Last month, the Telegraph & Argus revealed how a newly-passed Bradford driver had admitted he may be forced to move and change postcodes after being quoted an eye-watering £39,000 for car insurance.

Musician Mikey May, 27, who had just passed his test, said that when trying to insure a 1.6l Toyota Corolla, which had been his sister-in-laws grandad’s car, he was quoted a staggering £38,900 premium by one insurance provider, with the cheapest quote coming in at £16,835.

Mr May, of Beverley Street, Laisterdyke, said he was now set to move to the Pudsey area to insure a newly-bought car under a Leeds postcode.