A LYE car salesman has landed a court bill of £8,000 after pleading guilty to falsely describing cars he was selling from his business.

Stephen Hickman, sole director of Seymour Motor Company Limited in Dudley Road, Lye, appeared before Dudley Magistrates Court last Thursday (November 21).

Dudley Council’s trading standards brought the prosecution against Hickman, aged 52, who admitted making false statements in advertisements relating to the description of motor vehicles offered for sale by his company.

These included fabricating a vehicle’s service history and claiming a vehicle had come to him from a main dealer when it had in fact come from an auction.

He also admitted advertising a car with a false mileage indication as it had been fitted with a replacement odometer, which the customer was not told about.

The trader also failed to tell the consumer that there were advisories on MOT certificates relating to worn brake pads and discs.

Councillor Stuart Turner, cabinet member responsible for trading standards, said: “Our trading standards team works to protect the rights of consumers across the borough. We had received a number of complaints from customers of Seymour Motor Company and we are pleased with the results of the court prosecution.

"This should send a clear message out to all traders that if they work outside of the law we will not hesitate to take action.”

Hickman pleaded guilty to charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Magistrates fined the company and Hickman, as its director, £4,050 and he was ordered to pay court costs of £4,000.