A GARDEN landscaper sold a car which had more than 70,000 miles knocked off its clock.

Magistrates yesterday ordered John Mitchell, who told prosecutors he had sold vehicles part-time from his Warsash home for seven years, to pay £1,450 to the man who bought the Renault Laguna from him.

Kevin Brown discovered the false reading when he took the car to an official Renault dealer, and was told computer records showed it had done many more miles than its odometer suggested.

He complained to Trading Standards, whose officers later discovered the 02-registered Laguna had been sold at auction in May 2005 showing mileage of more than 120,000 miles.

Just a month later Mitchell, now 46, advertised the car in Auto Trader and sold it to Mr Brown from his Corvette Avenue home for £4,900, but by now the odometer showed just 48,000 miles.

Mitchell, who pleaded guilty to supplying a car with incorrectly stated mileage, told investigators he had bought the vehicle for £4,500 cash in May 2005, from an associate.

Three days later he obtained an MoT certificate for it, on which the mileage was recorded as 48,000.

Prosecutors told Fareham magistrates there was no suggestion Mitchell had altered the counter himself, but that he should have made efforts to verify the mileage.

As well as the compensation, Mitchell was ordered to pay £770 in costs, and given a conditional discharge for three years.