London is the least car-friendly place in Britain

A poll looking at petrol prices, parking costs and the number of speed cameras has found, unsurprisingly, that London is the worst town for drivers.

As reported by The RAC, the poll by Virgin Money revealed that a combination of traffic jams, a lack of car parks, soaring car crime and an estimated 600 cameras makes London the worst of 65 British towns for drivers. It's the third consecutive year that London's held the title.

The Press Association states that St Helen's in Merseyside is the UK's most car friendly town, scoring well across the board. It stole the accolade from Telford in Shropshire, which has been top of the list for the previous two years.

"The UK's 24 million motorists are often driven to distraction by the frustrations of driving, with parking problems, petrol prices and speeding tickets among the biggest issues," explained Grant Bather of Virgin Money.

He continued: "Not all towns and cities are the same and many local authorities do their best to ensure drivers aren't treated like second-class citizens. Cars shouldn't rule the road but motorists' views need to be taken into consideration."

"Of course everyone will have their own definition of driving hell, whether it is hunting for a parking space, being stuck in a traffic jam or being caught by a speed camera," he said. "Our research attempts to show which cities and towns are best and worst for drivers."

Every day a new story emerges about the rising cost of maintaining a car. With finances still under strain, many people living in or around London are likely to be tempted to sell a car for cash.

To further emphasise the costs of motoring, it was revealed last week that a driver faces an average of £283 in fines over their lifetime. According to The Daily Mail, motorists in London rack up an overwhelming £680 in fines. This is a stark contrast to those in Northern Ireland who will encounter, on average, just £90 of fines in their lifetime.

Diane Hughes, Tamworth, MG TF

Phil Packham, Shoreham-by-sea, Toyota Rav 4