Carlisle is leading the way on the national rollout of electric vehicle charging points, figures reveal.

But thinktank the Policy Exchange says there are still charging “blackspots” in regions across the UK, adding the speed of installations needs to increase to meet growing demand.

There were 39 public charging points in Carlisle at the start of January, according to figures from the Department for Transport.

That is a rate of 36 per 100,000 people, higher than the UK average of 31.

Since October 2019 – when figures began at a local authority level – Carlisle has seen 13 devices added to its supply.

Meanwhile, across the UK, an additional 5,700 devices were made available over the same period, taking the total number up to 20,800 at the start of this year.

In a bid to further boost numbers, transport minister Grant Shapps announced an extra £20 million was to be made available for local authorities.

However, a report by the Policy Exchange says the speed of the rollout needs to increase from the current rate to meet the planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.

It also found a gap in coverage of the charging points across the UK, claiming the Government’s funding scheme for local authorities had not been evenly distributed.