HOLYROOD Transport Minister Humza Yousaf made an “honest mistake” after a roadside check found he was driving with no insurance.

The Scottish Government minister said he would not be contesting the charge after he got behind the wheel of a friend’s car when he was not insured to drive other vehicles.

Police Scotland pulled over the car on the A835 near Dingwall at around 7pm on Friday December 2, the Scottish Sun reported.

It is understood he was sharing the driving with a friend on the way to a St Andrew’s Night dinner in Ullapool at the time.

The Transport Minister said a mix-up in the paperwork following the breakdown of his marriage meant he did not have the necessary cover to drive other vehicles.

In the wake of the incident he urged others to check their own insurance documents. Yousaf said: “I believed I was in possession of fully comprehensive insurance, not just for my own car, and as such I was insured to drive vehicles other than my own.

“If I had had even the slightest doubt about my insurance I would not have driven the car. Unfortunately, on investigation, it appears following the breakup of my marriage and transfer of ownership of our car I did not complete the process of taking over as main policy holder, which would have enabled me to drive other vehicles – which my policy previously enabled me to do. However, I remained insured to drive my own car at all times throughout.”

Scottish Conservatives deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: “Anyone could have found themselves in this situation, due process has been followed, Yousaf has apologised, and we should move on.”