The government has shown today through a flex of its muscle that they will not tolerate illegal drivers on Britons roads, be it those without insurance, a license or a valid MOT.

The crackdown was announced a few months ago and proof of the zero tolerance is the jailing of a learner driver who paid an impersonator to take his theory test for him.

The fraudster was sentenced to 13 months in jail for the move and was caught due to a dubious signature.

DSA head of fraud and integrity Andrew Rice said: "Candidates who believe they can simply pay for a driving licence without taking the full driving test to prove that they meet the required standard to drive on our roads need to know what a serious offence this is, and be fully aware of the penalties it carries."

Only a few weeks ago it was revealed that insurance companies now can prosecute for a lack of cover whether the owner actively drives the vehicle or not and can be fined up to £1000 by the Department of Transport.

The industry also want increased powers of find out anyone applying for insurance who has failed to be completely honest.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) states that one in five motorists lie on their insurance forms in order to acquire a cheaper deal. The organisation want insurers to obtain the ability to access motorists driving histories through such avenues as the DVLA. As it stands insurers only see this privileged information once a claim has been made.

Malcolm Tarling, at the ABI, says: 'Fraudulent motor claims are on the rise and it costs all policyholders around £30 to £40 extra on their premium to cover this.