Bradford has seen the biggest hike in car insurance premiums in the country during the past year, with prices rising by almost half, according to a comparison website.

The city topped Confused.com’s index with average premiums rising by 49.4 per cent from £570 to £851 during the past 12 months.

This compares to an average rise of a third across the UK, bringing the average comprehensive premium to £599.

The second largest increases were seen in West London, where prices rose by 45.7 per cent from £652 to £950. The website said the hike was due to rising claims costs, injury payouts, insurance fraud and uninsured drivers.

Product director Simon Lamble said: “This is a massive blow for motorists who have already suffered at the hands of petrol price hikes and insurance premium tax increases, and unfortunately we do not think we’ve seen the worst of it.

“In the last two years visibility of the market through price comparison sites has kept prices down and driven up competition. In order to secure customers, insurers have been forced to repeatedly slash their margins, but inevitably this could not continue.”

Malcolm Tarling, a spokesman for the Association of British Insurers, said the organisation had also noticed a dramatic rise in the cost of car insurance.

He said: “The main reason for that is the spiralling legal costs involved in settling personal injury claims. They are adding around ten per cent to car insurance premiums.”

The research also found the biggest quarterly comprehensive increases, all in excess of 20 per cent, were in postcodes in Bradford, as well as East London and Ilford.

On Saturday, the Telegraph & Argus reported that motorist Mark Watts, of Bolton, Bradford had seen his car insurance premium rise by almost £1,000 when he inquired about renewing his policy with Esure and was told the company no longer wanted the business of Bradford drivers.

Esure denied it did not want to insure people in the city and branded the advice from one of its staff “a disgrace”.

Last year Barkerend, Bradford, was named the UK’s uninsured driving capital by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau with almost half of vehicles registered in the area not having valid insurance.