Councillor Peter Barnes has won the backing of fellow councillors in his bid to have foreign drivers convicted if they commit offences in this country.

This follows an accident in May when Cllr's Barnes's Land Rover was in collision with a lorry driven by a German man.

Cllr Barnes, county councillor for Bidford, suffered whiplash and his vehicle was badly damaged but police failed to bring prosecution because they have no jurisdiction because the driver was a foreign national. British police have no powers to prosecute foreign drivers who commit offences in the UK when they have returned home.

Two county councillors for Alcester, Lib Dem Nina Knapman and Conservative councillor Joan Lea support Cllr Barnes's motion to convict foreign drivers when they commit road traffic offences in the UK.

Councillors agreed at a meeting held at Warwickshire County Council on Tuesday, a letter urging the Government to change the law, which would convict drivers, who commit road offences. The councillors are also asking for support from Worcester MPs and West Midlands MEPs in a bid to change the law.

At the meeting on Tuesday councillors also decided to ask for government assistance on the issue and decided to approach the House of Lords, who are at the present time re-assessing the road safety assessment.

Cllr Knapman and Lea decided to use their influence to address the issue by writing to Jack Straw and Charles Clarke urging them to review the law as it stands currently.

Cllr Barnes said after the meeting: "It's not fair that Germans nationals are driving round this country on cheap diesel taking British jobs and not complying with the law. I urge other MPs and other road users and haulage companies to do the same - to write to their MEPs to change the law. Anyone who commits a road traffic offence should be convicted."