Details of the excuses car tax dodgers have come up with have been released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

While the old favourite excuse “the tax is in the post” still crops up every so often, those caught without tax are being forced to become increasingly creative with their excuses.

The top five silliest excuses offered by motorists during the last year were:
• I gave the car to a man in the pub.

• My mate took my car for a test drive a year ago, and hasn’t brought it back yet.

• I did tick the box, but didn’t realise I had to actually send you the form.

• The weather’s been nice so I haven’t needed to use it.

• The letter advises me to ignore any correspondence.

“The days of motorists being able to place a note on their windscreen saying that their tax is in the post as a way of avoiding renewing their tax disc are long gone,” said Andrew Rhodes, DVLA acting customer services director.

“Thanks to electronic services from DVLA it is no longer an option for motorists.”