BRITAIN'S most recognisable motor trundled into Blackburn to warn drivers not to be a plonker.

Del Boy's three-wheeled Reliant Robin parked in King William Square to highlight a campaign to crackdown on unsuspecting motorists buying stolen cars.

More than 6,100 cars are stolen every year in Lancashire with many of them put up for sale. The DVLA stressed that one of the best ways car buyers can protect themselves from unknowingly buying a stolen vehicle is to request its V5 Logbook.

The logbook -- or car registration document -- contains important information about vehicles on the UK's roads, and vehicle keepers. The information from these documents is kept on a central database by the DVLA.

David Jamieson, junior transport minister, said: "In the UK, half a million vehicles are stolen each year, representing a cost of £3 billion to the economy. While general vehicle thefts have come down, largely due to improved security measures, organised vehicle crime has actually increased by almost 30 per cent in recent times.

"Buyers can find themselves with no car and no compensation if it's discovered that their car is stolen and we want to help protect people from this situation." Del's motor, from the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses, will visit other parts of the country to enforce the message.