Car insurance premiums are continuing to fall, according to AA figures.

The average quoted premium for annual comprehensive car insurance is just under £747 - a fall of 1.4% since the beginning of the year.

The latest fully comprehensive insurance figure is also 4.1% down on this time last year.

But policies covering third party, fire and theft have edged up, rising 2% since the beginning of the year to just under £1,128 now - a figure which represents a 0.9% rise on the average this time last year.

The AA said its figures were reached by averaging the five cheapest quotes from a range of premiums from insurers and brokers as well as from price comparison sites, against a fixed basket of risks.

AA Insurance director Simon Douglas said the continuing falling trend will be welcomed by consumers who, over the past three years, have faced some of the biggest premium increases ever recorded.

He continued: "Car insurance has not been far from the headlines for all the wrong reasons as insurers struggled to balance premiums against claims costs.

"Sharp hikes in personal injury claims, fraud and uninsured drivers, to say nothing of last year's gender directive and changing regulations, have all helped to pile on the pounds."

But Mr Douglas added that various legislative moves, including a crackdown on fraudulent whiplash injury claims, were expected to keep premiums down.