Jhalman Singh Rai, 42, sold a Range Rover for £24,800, saying it was HPI clear. HPI reports are a way of proving whether vehicles have been stolen, written off or have outstanding finance secured on them.

However, the car was not HPI clear, which was only discovered by the person who bought it when it was towed away by police, who told her that there was outstanding credit secured on it.

Rai was found guilty at Maidenhead Magistrates' Court last week under the Trade Descriptions Act and fined £2,000.

Alonso Ercilla, the Trading Standards officer who oversaw the case, said: "Falsely describing a product and selling it on without providing the most accurate and up-to-date information can have devastating repercussions for consumers – which is why it is a criminal offence."

Susanne Nelson-Wehrmeyer, Wokingham Borough Council's head of governance and democratic services, added: "This case demonstrates that the Council is always prepared to take tough action and prosecute in the criminal courts when it is necessary to do so."

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