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A road-hogging motorist has been fined for clinging to the middle lane of a motorway in what is thought to be the first conviction of its kind.

The driver blocked at least six other vehicles which had to brake and then overtake the Citroen Berlingo van as it trundled along at just 60mph despite the left hand lane being free, magistrates heard.

According to the Huddersfield Examiner, the Berlingo driver had several opportunities move into the inside lane but refused to budge on the eastbound carriageway of the M62 near Huddersfield, West Yorks, on August 25 last year.

The driver failed to attend the hearing at Leeds Magistrates Court, but was given five penalty points and ordered to pay a £500 fine, £400 in costs and a £40 victim surcharge in his absence.

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The court conviction is thought to be one of the first for the offence.

PC Nigel Fawcett-Jones from the Road Policing Unit said: "Lane hogging causes congestion and inconvenience to other road users.

"It reduces the capacity of roads and motorways, and can lead to dangerous situations where other drivers 'tailgate' the vehicle in front to try and get the lane hogger to move over.

"Members of the public regularly tell the Road Policing Unit that lane hogging and tailgating are real problems on our roads and this conviction shows that the police and the courts understand the public's concerns and take this offence seriously."

New £100 on the spot fines specifically for middle lane hogging were brought in by the government in August 2013.