More than 2,000 cheap imported cars have been brought through Harwich International Port from the continent in the last ten months.

Stena Line's figures show the port is increasingly popular with people travelling to the Holland to save up to thousands of pounds on a new vehicle.

The company, which runs the route between Harwich and the Hook of Holland, launched a ticket specially designed for customers wishing to take advantage of cheap prices on the continent last March.

And Stena spokeswoman Sam Bianchi said the deal was proving more popular with every month that goes by.

"People obviously have found it very easy to do as the numbers have been increasing every month. We can tell by the plates when cars come through and since last March more than 2,000 have come through Harwich."

"People go across with their current car and come back after they've placed an order. The price of the ticket also includes going across again as a foot passenger and coming back with a new car."

Simon Empson, whose Stoke-by-Nayland-based company Broadspeed Engineering is in the import business, said a total of 500 cars a day were coming into Britain from abroad.

He said as much as £20,000 could be saved on some models. "The pound's gone up and up which means savings have gone up and up."

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