HPI has revealed that 1 in 11 checks on cars have odometer inconsistencies.

The independent vehicle information provider has released the UK’s first index of digitally clocked vehicles, following analysis of the database of over eight million national mileage register records.

Popular family and executive cars are most at risk, says HPI. In vehicles aged between three and five years, ex-fleet favourites such as the Vauxhall Vectra, Peugeot 406 and Ford Focus topped the list of vehicles with the most discrepant mileages.

David Lundholm, managing director of HPI says: "The incidence of mileage discrepancies in these types of vehicles is no great surprise – they are all well built cars with a talent for hiding their mileage. But the surprise entry was the Ford Galaxy, which has nearly three times the average risk of being clocked."

Higher than average mileage anomalies for the Renault Espace, Peugeot and Chrysler Voyager mark the MPV market as a real target for the ‘clockers’.

Also in the three to five year old category, Lexus occupied two slots in the top five most discrepant vehicles. The IS200/300 and GS300/430 models are recorded as having nearly double the average risk of a displaying a discrepant mileage reading.

Peter Stratton, of the Trading Standards, says: "It is disappointing to see such high volumes of clocked vehicles still on the road today. But what is interesting to see is that vehicles at the higher end of the market are now being targeted. In simple terms, the clockers are focusing on vehicles that will give them the greatest financial return. Whilst it is easy to believe in the integrity of higher specification vehicles, with on board computers and diagnostic systems, they are in fact no more secure than cars at the lower end of the spectrum."