New van registrations fell by 0.2% year-on-year in July to 24,506 units.

According to the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), year-to-date figures show an increase of 2.6% to 216,472 registrations compared with 2015. The UK's new car market was flat in July, with the fleet market propping up demand as private registrations fell by 6.6% year-on-year.

Heavier vans saw a small decline in demand, with registrations for the 2.5-3.5-tonne segment down 2.2% last month. However, larger vehicles accounted for 63% of all the vans registered so far this year.

Figures for smaller LCVs painted a mixed picture, with registrations of new vans below 2.0 tonnes up 1.6%, while vans between 2.0-2.5 tonnes fell -2.8%.

Year-to-date figures show heavy vans continue to dominate the market, with registrations up 10.8%.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: “After a record performance in the first half of the year, it was inevitable that growth would start to level off over the summer.

"Maintaining business confidence for LCV operators will be critical to this sector’s future performance.”

The top 10 best sellers show a telling picture of the market share between each manufacturer as the July top 10 almost replicates the top selling brands year-to-date, with only Citroen and Peugeot swapping places.