The Royal Automobile Club foundation (most commonly known as RAC) has warned drivers that if they leave their engine running on a public road unattended, they could be at risk of being heavily fined.

This is because leaving your running engine unattended is an offence known as "idling" and it breaks rule 123 of the UK Highway code, under regulations 98 and 107 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.

Additionally, an idling stationary engine can be a harmful pollutant for the environment, producing up to twice as many emissions as an engine in motion, impacting the surrounding air in the area, according to RAC.

In 2016, the Royal College of Physicians estimated that 40,000 deaths a year in the UK are linked to air pollution.

If you fail to turn your engine off when instructed to, you could land yourself a fixed penalty notice of £20. If this sum is not paid within 28 days, the fines can escalate to £40. This will then increase up to £80 if the previous fine was not paid within the following two weeks. Eventually, the fine could rise as high as £1,000 if you are found to be a repeat offender.

The rule does not apply if you are using your own driveway, as it is not a public highway, but drivers are advised to be careful on public roads, where the highway code does apply.

Lawyer Gary Rycroft spoke to BBC Morning Live about the dangers of defrosting and advised listeners on how to avoid hefty fines.

He warned that failure to properly clear your windscreen of snow or ice could also result in penalties too. He explained safety issues such as "portholing", which is where people scrape a small, circular porthole in a frosted surface instead of clearing their whole windscreen, can lead to a dangerous lack of vision when driving.

Using a vehicle with parts or accessories in a "dangerous condition" could result in a fine of £60 and three penalty points.

Simply removing the ice from the driver's side of the windscreen is not enough - you must de-ice the entire area, using the wipers when the ice has melted.

Over the years, many vehicles have been stolen after the owners left the car running with the keys inside the ignition.

Here is the advice RAC has issued on how to properly defrost your car legally and safely:

How you could be fined for de-icing your car