A CROUCH End man who bought a car on eBay – only for the brakes to fail immediately – has been awarded £2,000 compensation. Haringey Council s Trading Standards officers acted after receiving a complaint from the resident who had bought the car over the i

A CROUCH End man who bought a car on eBay - only for the brakes to fail immediately - has been awarded £2,000 compensation.

Haringey Council's Trading Standards officers acted after receiving a complaint from the resident who had bought the car over the internet. After taking his new toy for a spin, he nearly crashed when the brakes failed. A vehicle examiner concluded that the car was not fit to drive.

Gary Granger, the seller of the car and trading from Wilbury Coachworks in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, was convicted at Haringey Magistrates' Court on July 30 for selling an unroadworthy car. He was also fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,887 to the council towards prosecution costs.

Councillor Nilgun Canver, enforcement and safer communities boss, said: "It's amazing that anyone would sell a car in this condition without warning the buyer. I am really pleased our trading standards managed to get some compensation for the buyer, but he might have been killed.

"I hope this stands as a warning to anyone buying a second-hand car to have it checked over before buying."

Mr Granger did not attend court but the case was conducted in his absence.