A car dealer who “clocked” a Ford Focus and reduced the mileage reading by almost 50,000 has been ordered to pay £1,000.

Daniel Williams, aged 24, of Neuddlwyd Isaf, Ciliau Aeron, had been due to stand trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of fraud.

But at the last moment, he changed his plea to guilty to making a false statement to Catherine Sturgeon about the true condition of the car.

His colleague, Andrew Davies, aged 27, of Haulfryn, Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, maintained his plea of not guilty, which was accepted by the prosecution and he was discharged.

Huw Rees, prosecuting on behalf of Ceredigion Trading Standards, said Williams, who traded as Llanarth Auto Services, bought the Fiesta for £250 in July, 2013, after seeing it advertised on the Gumtree web site.

It was made “perfectly clear” by the seller that it had done 132,000 miles.

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