A month or so ago, I felt the full brunt of the hard-sell at a Spanish car hire desk.

| Compare fuel polices CAR hire firms vary greatly when it comes to this, so check T&Cs carefully before you book.

A car hire company operating on Skye has been praised for their efforts to encourage motorists to Keep Left during an campaign in and around the island.

figure By BRIAN OCHARO A Mombasa businessman Timothy Mwaniki has been jailed for a month over Sh230,943 debt.Mr Mwaniki, the Time Tours and Car Hire company CEO, was on Wednesday jailed after failing to pay Ms Beryl Marindah the money after using her car in his business.

CAR hire companies have been accused of ripping off Brits abroad by charging them more than customers from other countries.

The warning comes from car hire specialist,Zest Car Rental, which points out that with so many cars having remote entry these days, hardly anyone uses the key to open the door -- or bothers to check the lock for pre-existing damage.

CAR hire firms are charging customers more than double the going rate for repairs, the consumer organisation Which?

travel editor, said: "It's outrageous that car hire customers are being made to pay extortionate amounts for repairs that never take place.

The car hire sharks include some well-known names and major companies.

The law says your holiday must be protected if you book a holiday with a single travel firm that includes: flights and accommodation - including a cruise - or flights and car hire, or flights, accommodation and car hire.

CAR RENTAL Book your car hire ahead using comparison sites to find the best prices.

Jenny C AUNLIKE Americans or Australians, car hire is generally not part of our daily lives until we go on holiday.