Police in Totnes who stopped an untaxed vehicle at the weekend got a surprise when they discovered that the driver had also been banned for seven years.

The car, a white Mercedes-Benz A-Class, was travelling between Totnes and Dartmouth when the driver was stopped.

Following a quick vehicle search, neighbourhood team officers from Totnes and Dartmouth not only found that the car had no tax, but that the driver was uninsured and had not held a valid drivers licence for seven years.

Officers seized the vehicle but no further details were released about the driver or whether he was arrested.

A Police post on Facebook added that it is the responsibility of motorists “to ensure that they hold a valid drivers licence, insurance, MOT and tax”.