Burnley Police are asking motorists to check that their car is listed on the Motor Insurers Database.

The database is linked to the Police National Computer, which allows officers to check if a vehicle is insured.

From 2009 it will be an offence to keep a car without insurance, regardless of whether it is being used, so ensuring your car is registered is vital.

“The vast majority of vehicles are now showing on the database but we have come across some that have been inadvertently left off or where mistakes in the inputting have been made,” said PC Rod Graham, from the Pennine Division Road Policing Unit.

“By spending a few seconds, owners will be able to check their vehicle is listed on the database,” he added. “If your vehicle is not showing we would urge you to contact your insurer to rectify the situation.”

The Motor Insurance Database contains details of 35 million insured vehicles in the UK.

Over the last two years, police have used it to take over 200,000 uninsured vehicles from our roads, with 150,000 seized last year alone.

To make sure your car is registered, check the database by going to www.askmid.com.