Trading standards officers raid Birmingham motor trader

BIRMINGHAM Trading Standards officers have seized 17 vehicles from a used car trader in the city after receiving information the vehicles were dangerous.

The cars were seized after officers visited premises in Sparkhill following a review of complaints about rogue traders.

The service said it had received a high number of complaints about the business, which was offering for sale used vehicles suspected to be unroadworthy, dangerous and with misleading descriptions.

Officers were accompanied by police officers and a qualified vehicle examiner to assist in identifying those that were potentially unroadworthy. More than 50 vehicles were on the site at the time of the inspection.

The inspection indicated that vehicles may have been ‘clocked’, meaning when the mileage display has been manually altered, and some had not been declared as being category C and D insurance write-offs.  It is an offence to supply dangerous and misdescribed vehicles.

Vehicles including Fords, Jaguars, Vauxhalls, Audis and a BMW were all seized as evidence and for further examination.

The council said enforcement action was likely to follow for offences under the Road Traffic Act and Consumer Protection relating to unfair trading.

Cllr Barbara Dring, chair of Birmingham City Council’s licensing and public protection, said: “When someone buys a used car, they quite rightly expect the vehicle to be safe, roadworthy and as described by the trader. When this is not the case, Trading Standards officers will investigate and, where necessary, take the appropriate action.

“Reviewing intelligence in this way helps us to identify those businesses which have generated significant numbers of complaints and carry out operations such as this. We will not hesitate to take action against traders found to be breaking the law.”