The Ministry of Defence has admitted that a fault at a radar dome was responsible for making dozens of cars go haywire.

In February it emerged that a flurry of motorists had experienced their electrics cutting out as they drove past the dome at Trimingham in Norfolk. Some said their speedometer dials would swing from zero to 150mph.

At the time, the MoD said the radar was operating legally and there was no guarantee it was the cause of the incidents.

But an inquiry has revealed the Type 93 radar spinning inside the dome had been "out of alignment'' between November last year and February.

The fault was down to "unserviceable phase shifters and drop-in wave guide air pressure'', said a spokeswoman for the MoD, who could not explain further.

She stressed that although there was no danger to the public or personnel, it would now consider outstanding compensation claims on a case-by-case basis.

Neil Crayford, who runs the nearest garage, Crayford & Abbs at Mundesley, dealt with 30 calls and claimed the problem was still happening.

"We have had a Nissan Terrano in here three or four times in the past week with the same sort of problems - dials going haywire and blacking out, which we had to reset,'' he said.

But the MoD spokeswoman said: "There is no known recurrence of the problems experienced last year.''