Google has held multiple discussions with the British government about the prospects for driverless cars in the UK, documents obtained by the Telegraph show.

The US internet giant has held five face-to-face meetings with the Department for Transport (DfT) in the last two years about autonomous vehicles, according to records made available under the Freedom of Information Act.

They suggest that Google sees the UK as a key market for its driverless cars, which are currently being tested in California. Although it is unclear whether the company plans to extend trials to the UK, minutes show Google bosses describing the UK as a leader in developing laws for driverless cars.