Over 283,000 motorists driving cars with a German number plate were fined for minor traffic violations in the Netherlands last year, according to justice ministry figures.

Belgian cars accounted for 225,000 fines, the figures show. The infringements range from speeding to driving through red lights and parking wrongly.

The Netherlands has had bilateral agreements to exchange information about traffic fines with Belgium, Germany and Switzerland for several years.

New EU rules mean the Netherlands can now exchange information with other European countries, if the technology can cope. Random tests show the Poles, French, Bulgarians and Romanians are also regular offenders.

Britain, Ireland and Denmark are not taking part in the system.