SCIENTISTS have found we are driving pigsties on wheels - and that there are 500 colonies of germs in the average car.

Even though the average person spends around 219 hours a year travelling in their car, it seems that very few of us spend enough time cleaning it.

The driver's seat and steering wheel we touch every day are crawling with germs and covered in hundreds of types of bacteria.

Research by the car care product company Comma and BBC Top Gear Magazine has found that there are 500 colonies of germs in the average car.

It appears that boy racers are some of the worst offenders with an average of 192 different types of bacteria found on their car seats by the germ brigade - 20 times more than cars belonging to more mature motorists.

Family cars are a little less infested than average with only 264 germ colonies.

The survey also revealed that dog owners' cars were swarming with different types of bacteria.

In fact, their boots were so contaminated that scientists conducting the study could not accurately confirm the number of germs.

Dave Roberts, 36, of DW Autos, who used to valet cars in Parkstone, said: "Youngsters are the worst, I'd say. Some of the older ones aren't that bad - they are more hygienic. We don't bother cleaning cars any more - people are so dirty. It's disgusting.

"We found things like toenails, dried-up sweets, and chewing gum. You're working on people's mess.

"We did it for two years but stopped doing it because it was just too horrible."

Hospital worker Claire Benbow, 37, was unconcerned: "Two hundred germs sounds about right, especially if you have a baby, as I do. It doesn't concern me - there are germs all around us."

Nick Tapin, 40, of Poole, who also used to valet cars, is more worried: "The ones who spend a lot of time with their families can get things like melted ice-cream and kids' stuff smeared over car seats," he said.

But it appears the new germ-related statistics don't alarm everyone.

Jackie Vandenbosh, 42, said: "I clean my car about once a year. It's not disgusting but there are sweet wrappers everywhere."

Housewife Diane Knight, 44, was "not at all" worried, but added: "I clean my car about once a month.

"I've got dogs and horses so it gets quite dirty. It's a bit of a nightmare."

Peter Mettler, 29, the owner of Alpine Valeting in Poole, agreed: "The worst thing I have to get out is dog hair.

"It is a pig to get out and it smells."

And the Daily Echo's Melanie Vass confessed: "My car is hideous. I love it, but not enough to clean it.

"I don't think being over-precious about cleanliness is a good thing. Life's too short for cleaning cars."

First published: September 2, 2005