CRAVEN'S only importer of Japanese cars is angry that new Government legislation means he has to continue using Ireland as a "back door" way to get cheap motors.

John Midgley, owner of Midgley Motors on Skipton's Airedale Business Park, was hoping that new rules to be introduced on May 1 would enable him to commercially import cars straight into the UK.

Instead, because of a capping system limiting the amount of cars allowed in, he has resigned himself to carrying on his farcical weekly procedure of taking his customers to Ireland to pick up their vehicles.

For tax reasons, the new owners of the Japanese imports have to be photographed with their new pride and joys on Irish soil, drive the car a few yards and then ship it over to England.

The only part of the new legislation John welcomes is the across-the-board introduction of Single Vehicle Approval tests (a very stringent MOT) which ensures foreign cars are fit for British roads.

But he would much rather the VAT and 10 per cent import tax he pays to the Irish Government on each car went into this country's coffers.

He said: "The crux of the matter is that commercial importation has been postponed indefinitely and we have to carry on with this unwieldy personal importation system.

"If we could import commercially the cars could come straight through English ports like Sheerness and straight on to their pitches

"If it stays as it is we are going to have to take our customers over to Ireland for the foreseeable future.The ones doing it this way are saving as much as 15 and 20 per cent off the price of a car.

"We have got information about the new legislation and what they have done is say the SVA will apply to all vehicles imported personally, even those under three years old and not needing an MOT.

"What this means to the public is that instead of coming here after their car has been SVA'd the car is going to Ireland and the owner has to go to collect it, be photographed in front of it on Irish soil, and bring it home."

Although it involves a lot of red tape and paperwork, John says he has finally cracked the complicated system, but he pities anyone thinking about doing it by themselves.

He added: "It has been a nightmare getting our system streamlined. But it's all because in England we have to pay among the highest prices for our cars and the Japanese pay the lowest.

"All we are doing is helping customers personally import cars, but it would be so much easier if we could import commercially directly into this country."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.