Lorry drivers from overseas who don’t pay the charge to cross the Dartford Crossing should be pursued as fervently as UK drivers, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) reckons.

Almost a quarter of foreign-registered vehicles dodge the fee, which can be up to £6 a time, according to a freedom of information request by BBC Radio Kent. Only 77.1 per cent of foreign drivers pay first time too, the request revealed.

The charge, which connects Dartford in Kent to Thurrock in Essex over the River Thames, varies from £2.50 for a one-off car crossing to £6 for a multi-axle goods vehicle with discounts for commercial users.

However, since crossing barriers and pay booths were replaced with an electronic registration-recognition charge system in November 2014, almost 3.5 million fines have been issued for drivers failing to pay the charge.

While an FTA spokesperson agreed that removing the tolls had reduced congestion, all vehicles should be paying the charge and should be pursued for non-payment, regardless of where they’re based.

They warned that failing to act would create an uneven playing field for UK operators.