A car dealership has been fined for advertising cars for sale on the internet with incorrect mileages.

Swan Garage (Bosham) Ltd was fined £13,000 with £287 costs in the first prosecution of its type in West Sussex.

The company, which has showrooms in Worthing and Chichester, admitted eight offences before Worthing magistrates this week following an investigation by trading standards officers.

West Sussex County Council prosecuted the garage for applying false trade descriptions on its website.

A T-reg Renault Megane was advertised on the site as having done 9,000 miles. An inspection at the firm's showroom in Palatine Road, Worthing, revealed it had travelled 15,900 miles. Another car advertised as having covered 39,000 miles had 45,787 miles on the clock.

Officers also found misleading prices for vehicles and breaches of the Companies Act and the Business Names Act.

Trading standards head Patrick Bligh-Cheesman said: "The motor trade should be aware that our officers regularly monitor advertisements on web sites as well as checking claims made in other forms of the media, including newspapers and the local radio.

"We will not hesitate to bring a case where blatant misdescriptions are made in any advertisements."

Swan Garage said in a statement: "In August 2000, trading standards visited our premises at Worthing and Chichester and some cars offered for sale were found to have incorrect descriptions in the press and internet. These descriptions were advertised wrongly.

"At no time were any of the misdescriptions intended to harm or deceive, no mileages on these vehicles were altered, and none of our cherished customers lost financially as a result of these advertisements.

"We are a family concern dating back to 1946 and accept our deficiencies in this regard."