Thousands fewer cars are now registered in Brighton and Hove than ten years ago, one of the biggest falls in the country. 

Only Liverpool, Blackpool and Swansea fell by more than Brighton and Hove, which now has 93,446 cars registered in the area, compared to 96,311 in 2004, a fall of 3%.

In most areas, the amount of cars owned has increased. The number of cars on UK roads in 2013 had reached more than 31.91 million, with the total number increasing by 436,000 last year - the fastest growth for 10 years.

The figures have been released to day by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which takes DVLA figures and checks them against its database of newly registered cars. 

The fall in registered cars also corresponded with a fall in carbon dioxide over the last five years. 

Since 2009, there has been a 5.3% improvement in carbon emissions, which have fallen to an average of  167g/km CO2 in 2013.

Jonathan Visscher, spokesman for the SMMT, said: "This shows people in Brighton and Hove have taken fuel efficiency and environmental factors into consideration when choosing cars."

He added: "You would anticipate traffic restrictions and good public transport in the region would also have an impact on car ownership."

Car ownership increased the most last year in Worcester, Aberdeenshire in Scotland and in Corby in Northamptonshire.

The study also highlights how the number of red and blue vehicles has declined nationally over the last year, with drivers preferring black, silver and grey cars. 

There are currently more than 1,453 different models on UK roads, but the Ford Focus takes the top spot for popularity, boasting almost 1.5 million owners. The smaller Ford Fiesta secures second place.