MOT Question

Our vans MOT is due in couples weeks time, but we decided to get the MOT sorted early. Just had call from garage doing MOT to say the van has failed its MOT on a couple of points re the handbrake. We got a price and when said we were going to shop around for best price they came back and knocked over £100 off it.
We said we would collect the van today and have another garage quote for the work. Although we have now been told by the garage we cannot drive the vehicle as it has failed its MOT. I questioned the fact it still has a valid MOT but we were just getting the new MOT done early. I have been told as we have done a new MOT this makes the existing mot invalid and will flag it up on police database as being illegal vehicle.

Question, is our existing MOT cert now invalid as we have had this new one done?

Cheers..

Thanks for this.. it does seem to be a grey area. Ive contacted a couple folk who say the same, vehicle has a current MOT cert, but fact its been checked by a garage to say it would now fail its MOT, wouldnt go well if I was pulled by the police..

Kinda grey area of the law..

Thanks again..

Steve