There is far more to a tyre than the size. The speed and load rating are 2 other markings on the sidewall. Manufacturers take all this into consideration before specifying the standard fitments. They have 1000's of engineers with more data than we can imagine before arriving at the OEM spec. H arted tyres would save manufacturers a few pounds on every car which over a few 100,000 cars would add up, if they were OK they would fit them.

On average a H arted tyre is perhaps £5 less than a V rated one, Buy 4 thats £20. Run them for 20,000 miles and that's 0.1 pence a mile.

Are you prepared to risk your safety, the safety of others and risk prosecution for 0.1 pence a mile?

For what its worth IMHO the H rated tyres would probably be absolutely fine when used on UK roads at UK legal speeds.

Tyres simply have to exceed the car manufacturers' specification - check the handbook - what's currently fitted is irrelevant as they may not be original.

As others say, the key is what's in the original specification for size, speed and load rating. It may vary by precise model/trim etc so even two different 1.6 petrol Foci (?) might have diferent min requirements.

Somebody may have fitted V rather than H because they were on offer or in stock at time they were needed. Sure I'm not only one here to realise three days before a holiday that tyres look a bit worn.

I usually buy the highest rated i can get, especially if the same price, as RT notes very often cheaper than the probably less popular lower rated.

Seldom we get caught out late needing tyres fortunately, usually start to look for the next set at least 6 months before needed, gives plenty of time to get the feel for things and for the bargains on the shortlist to crop up then hit the BiY button when the unmissable or possibly mistaken price appears, had some serious bargains doing this, grabbed a good set of winters (hardly needed this year..;) for the lad from Openeo only last autumn, within 2 days of purchase they'd jumped £25 each to about the same as everywhere else.

I won't / cant do more than 130mph in the car so hopefuly they'll not blow up and I'm sure I'm not risking anything by having these on :)

From a safety point of view you are risking nothing, as other have said the H rated tyres will be well up to the job of keeping a Focus on the road. However, have you ever had an accident and seen the assessor go over your car with a magnifying glass. He is not only looking for damage, he is looking for ways they can avoid paying out. Having tyres with a speed or load rating lower than OEM spec is one of those "get out of jail free" cards they look for.

By all means fit them but look in your handbook, look on the drivers door pillar or petrol flap for the tyre specs and check with your insurers first. They will in all probability say go ahead but find out first and avoid the possibility of an expensive mistake.