A trader from Kilgetty has been fined for misleading a buyer.

Steven Cory Davidson pleaded guilty to a charge under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday (August 13).

The court heard that in January 2012, Mr. Davidson had sold a Vauxhall Zafira to a consumer, who had seen the car advertised on eBay with a mileage advertised as 122,000.

But after returning home, the consumer undertook a simple MOT test history report online and discovered that the car had covered considerably more miles (at least 189,000 miles) and at some point, had had its odometer adjusted (a practice known as 'clocking').

The consumer said that he would not have bought the car if he had known the true mileage and felt misled.

The case was investigated by Pembrokeshire County Council's trading standards service, who considered it was a 'misleading action under Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and brought a prosecution.

On Tuesday, magistrates fined Mr. Davidson £110 and ordered he pay a £20 victim's surcharge and £600 costs.

Clr. Huw George, cabinet member for environmental and regulatory services, said that vehicle traders needed to ensure that their advertisements were factually correct.

"Traders are expected to adopt a level of professional diligence and in this case a simple quick online check would have highlighted discrepancies with the vehicle's mileage before the advert was placed," he said.

Any trader wishing to seek further information on the Consumer Protection Regulations can contact trading standards at Pembrokeshire County Council.