Repairs to a supercar wrecked during a test drive are set to cost an insurance firm £300,000.

The Pagani Zonda S, which can reach speeds of 220mph, was badly damaged when a professional driver took it out near Aberdeen last September.

The £528,000 car spun out of control on a narrow country road before hitting a telegraph pole and smashing through a fence.

It has now been sent for repair to Modena in Italy, where the vehicles are made.

The final bill could be more than £300,000 once all the repairs are completed, a spokesman for insurer Aviva said.

Aviva said it is thought to be one of the highest ever pay-outs in the UK.

A spokesman said: "This is the biggest insurance pay-out we have had for repairs to a private car in the UK. This is out of the ordinary for an insurer.

"An Aviva representative was asked to inspect a badly-damaged supercar after the insurer's policy-holder, who had been test-driving the supercar, lost control on a narrow country road and collided side-on with a telegraph pole before careering through a fence.

"Although the vehicle was badly damaged, Aviva decided that the car may be repairable and set about making arrangements for the car to be shipped across to Modena, Italy, home of Pagani, the vehicle manufacturer.

"There are roughly only 10 Zondas produced per year and they are painstakingly constructed."

The insurance claim was lodged by the test driver, not the owner of the car.

Work on the vehicle, which is made out of carbon fibre, titanium and aircraft aluminium, is expected to be completed by May.