Most readers will share Mark Watts’s sense of outrage at what he was told when he queried a massive hike in his car insurance premium.

The person on the end of the phone apparently said the £1,000 rise was because the company, Esure, no longer wanted to insure anyone from Bradford.

Esure was quick to state this was not the case and it deserves credit for being open and honest about its employee’s comments.

Rather than hide behind gobbledegook and company speak, it held up its hands and admitted the episode was “a disgrace”.

A spokesman said: “This agent has been taken off the telephone and we are taking appropriate action.”

He added that the company would be apologising directly to Mr Watts.

Would that more firms responded in this way when they were in the wrong.

It would seem, however, that the operator was not mistaken about the price hike, because the company has re-rated Bradford, resulting in rises in a third of postcodes and a fall in another third.

There may be many reasons behind the rises, but we would imagine the impact of so many uninsured drivers on the road in certain areas played a part.

Another reason, then, why there should be no let-up in efforts to catch these menaces who, through their selfishness and general bad driving, pose a risk to, and push up costs for, other road users.