The bad habits of Britain's company car drivers could be costing the economy 200m a year.

Vehicles are returned in such a state that one fleet service company spends 24 hours a day refurbishing cars.

As well as being in a mess, cars returned at the end of their lease often contain souvenirs.

Items have included an airgun, adult magazines, valuable jewellery, underwear and once even a dead mouse.

This was in addition to cash, passports, credit cards and sunglasses.

Adrian Baldwin, marketing director at Interleasing, one of Britain's biggest company car providers, said: Bumps and scratches, ingrained dirt, cigarette burns and mechanical wear caused by bad driving are commonplace."

Mr Baldwin added that wear and tear and misuse of Britain's three million company cars could be costing UK industry 200m a year.