Clocking could be cut if the prejudice against high-mileage second hand vehicles were challenged, according to the RMI, whose suggestion follows a week after CAP Black Book reported that the premiums for low mileage vehicles in the used market were falling.

The emphasis placed on car mileage, as opposed to overall condition, when second-hand cars are valued may be contributing to what the RMI says is a rise in clocking. With computer technology making it easier than ever to alter the mileage on a second hand car, it has been estimated by HPI that 1.4 million vehicles on UK roads may have been clocked.

Ray Holloway, director of the RMI's independent garage and fuel division, said: “The modern motor car is built to be used. It is a tool for going about everyday business, and is intended to last for a long time. We need to update our attitudes towards high mileage vehicles.”

The emphasis on mileage is a UK phenomenon. Holloway says: '”In Europe, the industry is set up in a way that allows for high-mileage vehicles. As people are able to drive between countries, high mileage cars are more common, but if they are well looked after they will be worth more than they would in the UK.”