THE issue of false whiplash claims has plagued East Lancashire for years.

A small number of motorists have caused the majority of us to pay over the odds for insurance.

The ‘no win, no fee’ and compensation culture has spread like a disease across the country from America.

Compensation payouts for minor bumps and shunts now cost insurers more than £2billion a year, which is £90 per policy.

And here in East Lancashire, it is impossible to get a low insurance quote after a number of crash for cash scams sent claims into overdrive.

Now it seems the Government is putting the brakes on these false claims.

A medical panel will be set up to weed out the culprits and cut down on the number of fraudsters.

Also, this will help reduce insurance costs for motorists meaning genuine claims will get paid out.

Hopefully, if more people who make false whiplash claims get caught, it will discourage others from thinking about fiddling the system and help drive down the costs of motoring.