An off-duty AA technician spotted 23-year-old tyres fitted to the nearly-new car purchase of an unsuspecting motorist.

Technician Dave Jones was collecting an online purchase from the home of the car’s owner when he spotted the state of the treads on his new motor, the Daily Mail's This Is Money web-site reported.

The financial website reported that the combined age of all four tyres on the 63-reg car - believed to be fitted by the used car dealership that sold the unsuspecting owner the vehicle - was 64 years.

Jones said: 'As a tyre fitter, you tend to look at what people are driving on when you’re stopped at the lights – it’s a bit geeky.

'So when I was picking something up I’d ordered online, I immediately spotted that something was wrong with the car’s tyres.”

One of the tyres, which had been produced back in 1993, had also had two repair attempts made upon it, inspections uncovered.

This Is Money reported that the car owner had not sought compensation from the dealership that fitted the “dangerous” tyres.