IT was welcome news to read in my classic car magazine that now we are in the EU, the UK classic car tax system has to be changed to mirror current European tax exempt changes.

This means that any pre-1980 classic cars are to be classed as tax free.

Currently, this arrangement only applies to cars registered before 1973.

The policy will only be applied to cars with limited mileage.

However, this is still welcomed news as I only use my car for summer shows and days out.

With the continuous rise in fuel prices, VAT increases and, of course, the rising costs of car parts, I hope this happens sooner rather than later.

N Blenkinsopp, Bishop Auckland.