Police in Bradford have seized almost 27,000 cars – more than 100 a week – from irresponsible drivers since 2013.

Out of 91,601 cars seized across West Yorkshire, 26,968 of them were taken off motorists in Bradford.

The most common reason for vehicles being impounded was lack of insurance, with 9,350 cars being seized for that reason between 2013 and April 2018.

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, show the number of cars seized from uninsured drivers is rising, with 1,734 cars taken off the roads in 2015/16, 2,091 a year later and 2,214 in 2017/18.

More than 7,000 of the 26,968 vehicles never returned to their owners after police ruled they should be scrapped, while 3,592 of them auctioned and re-homed.

The keys are taken from drivers if their vehicles are stolen, involved in crashes, are unlicensed or because they are dangerous.

However, there is no discrimination about the type of car which can be removed from the road, with everything from top of the range Lamborghinis to a Rolls-Royce being loaded onto the back of a flatbed truck if drivers are found to have broken the law.

Officers came across a white Rolls-Royce, being driven without insurance, in April this year and swiftly loaded it onto the back of a lorry to be taken away.

Police also seized a white Lamborghini from a bridegroom in October last year when he was found to be driving with no insurance.

The supercar, complete with red ribbon, was taken off the roads by the West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit, which spotted the car in Bingley.

A police spokesman said the vehicle was hired out with insurance but not to the person who was found driving it.

A spokesman for the West Yorkshire based road safety charity, Brake, said he was concerned about the number of cars being taken off the roads by police officers.

“The steady increase in cars seized across Bradford, and the increase in the number of those which were uninsured, indicated a worrying trend,” he said.

“Road safety is crucial and it is vitally important that all who drive on our roads are insured and have the skills and competence to be a safe driver.

“We need the Government to prioritise roads policing investment to ensure that we have an effective enforcement deterrent across the UK.”

Sgt Gary Roper, of the Roads Policing Support Unit, said: “We are aware that drivers using the roads without insurance is something that most law-abiding drivers want agencies to take action against. West Yorkshire Police have dedicated officers across the force dealing with incidents on the roads.

“On average, we seize 20-25 cars a day across the county for having no insurance, and teams across the organisation regularly work closely with partners to tackle this issue, including coordinating days of action and proactive operations such as those ongoing in Bradford and Calderdale.

“It is often the case, that a driver who does not insure their vehicle, may not take other responsible steps in ensuring it is roadworthy, making it a potentially dangerous vehicle on our roads.

“We would encourage all drivers to stay insured and to drive safely. If your vehicle is seized for having no insurance, you will have to pay to release that vehicle whilst also providing proof it is now insured within a fixed time. Ultimately, the vehicle could be crushed.

“In addition to the seizure costs you face a fixed penalty of a £300 fine and 6 penalty points.”