New car registrations in Scotland last month fell 16.13% year-on-year to 5,424 units.

The overall UK figure shows a decrease of 15.71% with 77,092 units registered as against 91,460 for February last year.

Douglas Robertson, chief executive of the SMTA, says: "This decrease, like any decrease, is disappointing.

"However, whilst the percentage may be high the actual numbers are reasonably small and we have to remember that next month, March, is the first of the plate change months when we will see the 05 plate for the first time. We would anticipate a good performance in March though not, perhaps, as high as last year.

"We are confident that March will see another good month for SMTA franchised dealers and that we are ready to meet the challenges of the current market place."