SINCE the government's purge a few weeks ago on those irritating and frustrating people who hog the middle lane on our motorways, I have noticed a dramatic change.

Having travelled four times since to the capital and back from the north by car, the exercise seems to have worked - these people have seemingly moved out of the centre lane, but apparently into the wrong lane.

On every journey I have taken there has been a constant stream of vehicles with no let ups in the outside lane so one cannot use this lane now for overtaking.

Adding to this, drivers are now using the middle lane for simply overtaking those logjammed motorists in the outside lane, as the centre lane has now become the overtaking lane for the fast lane. It is now hard to even reach the 70mph limit never mind do it. On my most recent journey the outside lane on the M1 came to a halt no less than eight times without any apparent reason.

This was not during the busy period, but in the early afternoon when everyone was primarily still at work. Therefore can we now have a purge on those road hogs who now persist in staying in the outside lane for hours on end please Mr Blair?

DR DAVID HILL, Chief Executive, World Innovation Foundation.