FOREIGN born drivers are committing high levels of traffic offences because of a lack of understanding of UK driving laws, the Warrington Guardian has found.

Traffic court lists reveal 18 per cent of people from the town have non-UK origin names, with more than half coming from eastern Europe.

Typical offences were driving without an MOT certificate and insurance.

Warrington's ethnic population is less than three per cent, and the number of eastern Europeans around one per cent.

Cheshire Police said they do not have statistics on the issue but from experience believe it may be an issue.

Warrington traffic unit has seen an increase in numbers of cars registered abroad, especially Poland, and it is preparing guidance notes for new arrivals.

Different driving laws and a lack of understanding of them appear to catch people out.

Eastern European countries have looser drink driving laws and this has been a particular problem with wagon drivers. Poland does not have road tax, and insurance laws are different.

One official who works with eastern Europeans in Warrington said: "They see adverts designed to tempt them here, and they just drive off without a second thought sometimes."

Steven Cullen, district manager for Warrington Citizens' Advice Bureau, said: "Driving laws can be a culture shock for people. Education is the key."

New arrivals also have no UK driver history and face high insurance bills, which may tempt some people to try to avoid paying.

A spokesman for insurers Liverpool Victoria said: "Our experts think there might be a trend showing but it's hard to quantify. There are people who don't understand but there's also an element of fraud."

The Guardian got the figures from looking at more than 200 names from five weeks of Warrington Traffic Court lists.

Warrington Borough Council declined to comment.