PRESTIGE car firm Bentley saw UK car sales fall by more than 50 per cent last month.

According the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Crewe manufacturer sold 71 cars in May, down 54 per cent from 156 during the same month last year.

But the figures represent a slight improvement compared to April, when Bentley sold 65 cars.

Year-to-date sales now stand at 332 – a 64 per cent fall from 930 in the same period in 2008.

Rivals Aston Martin and Porsche fared better, with Aston Martin selling 106 cars in May, down 34 per cent from 161.

At Porsche, sales were down 33 per cent, from 509 in May 2008 to 399 last month.

In total, there were 134,858 new cars registered in the UK during May – a 25 per cent fall compared to last year.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said a surge in interest thanks to the Government's scrappage incentive scheme would take time to translate into new registrations.

He said: "While consumer confidence is improving, the UK motor industry is still facing a tough time.

"We have seen an encouraging start to the scrappage scheme with 35,000 orders placed since it was announced, although it will take time to feed into registration figures."