The number of public electric vehicle chargers drivers had access to in the Cumberland Council area rose by more than a third last year, new figures show.

It comes as the RAC expressed concerns certain communities are missing out, with the figures showing an inconsistent supply of chargers across the UK.

Department for Transport figures show there were 255 public electric car chargers in the Cumberland Council area as of July – up from 183 the year before.

It means the number of public chargers has risen by 39 per cent over the last year.

The Government set a target of installing 300,000 public electric chargers by 2030, meaning around 3,600 chargers must be installed across the UK per month.

Of the chargers installed in the Cumberland Council area, 81 were rapid chargers there are 93 public chargers per 100,000 people in Cumberland.

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A DfT spokesperson said: "We are committed to accelerating the rollout of charge-points across the UK.

"And we want to go further and faster right across the country, giving drivers the confidence to make the move to zero-emission vehicles."