Local government leaders have called for devices which alter a cars mileage to be banned.
The Local Government Association (LGA) says a surge in ‘clocking’ is putting motorists at a greater risk of buying dangerous used vehicles.
It says a proposed EU ban on companies providing mileage correction services which was supposed to be in place by May 2018 should be implemented as soon as possible and retained under UK laws after Brexit.
Latest industry figures show clocking – where the mileage is reduced to increase a vehicle’s resale value – increased by 25% between 2014 and 2016 and costs motorists an estimated £800m a year in the UK.
Cllr Simon Blackburn of the LGA said: 'Trading Standards teams across the country often receive more complaints about used cars than anything else.
'This is why the proposed EU ban on mileage correction services needs to be made part of UK law as soon as possible, otherwise thousands more cars will continue to be clocked, jeopardising the safety of cars and passengers on UK roads.'
