A JOINT police and council crackdown on sellers of dangerous second-hand cars has been launched in north Kent. The county council's trading standards department is working in partnership with North Kent Police's Operation Igneous team to target unscrupulous car traders selling motors from the roadside.

KCC says 75 per cent of vehicles examined so far were found to be "alarmingly" unroadworthy. In the worst case, a Ford Sierra, sold for £450 was so badly rusted it was dangerous to drive. The rust had been masked with expanding foam filler and painted over to dupe an unsuspecting buyer.

Car traders will be targeted in the operation instead of members of the public selling private vehicles. One trader has already tried to sell 20 cars from the roadside during a three-month period. KCC is also warning the public to be careful of cars parked on the roadside with a hand-written 'for sale' sign containing a mobile telephone number displayed in the window.

The authority says some vehicles cause an obstruction to surrounding residents' properties, are eyesores, become targets for vandals and are often untaxed and uninsured.

KCC's lead member for strategic planning, Frank Gibson, said: "People buying such a car rarely know who they are dealing with and are not protected by the usual guarantee you receive when buying from a garage. Trading standards officers and Kent police will continue to work together using their combined powers to put a stop to this dangerous trade. Trading standards has already seized a number of cars and court action is pending."