The incidences of sexual harassment complaints from learner drivers has tripled in the last three years according to a recently published Freedom of Information request.

There were almost 250 allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour or harassment made to the DVSA in the past 12 months according to figures obtained by the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. The 246 complaints were made against driving instructors from April 2018 to March 2019, a huge increase from the 75 in 2015/16.

The Freedom of Information request reveals that 42 instructors had action taken against them and 10 were removed from the official register, with a further 23 given warnings and allowed to return to work due to a lack of evidence.

Carly Brookfield, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, said: "It’s important to point out that the overwhelming majority of trainers conduct themselves in a safe and responsible manner.

"However, considering the latest stats, we cannot pretend as an industry that there are zero issues with instructor conduct.

"The rising number of complaints of this nature is a concern and it’s crucial we look at why we’re seeing this increase, and work on how we tackle these issues.”

The startling report shows that there are still 130 cases under investigation and one Conservative MP, Richard Graham has called for preventative measures to be taken. Speaking in The Guardian, Mr Graham said: "The authorities responsible for regulating driving instructors should consider the possibility of clearly positioned cameras being fitted in cars.

"It would provide proof if anything inappropriate occurred, as well as protect those instructors who have done nothing wrong from false accusations."

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