Euro NCAP has chosen Thatcham to carry out its whiplash protection tests which will be included as part of its crash test ratings from November.

Thatcham has been testing seats and head restraints for the past four years following a £1 million investment at its Berkshire research facility.

Matthew Avery, crash research manager at Thatcham, said: "It's a real feather in the cap to be selected as Euro NCAP’s first rear whiplash impact testing house.

"The team has worked hard to satisfy a stringent protocol and have already begun working on testing seats for the November launch."