It is unusual for motor dealers convicted of fraud to be jailed. James Earp senior certainly was not expecting a custodial sentence: he collapsed with shock at York Crown Court.

But his six month prison term, and the four months handed out to son James Earp junior, are by no means excessive. Judge Robert Taylor was simply responding to the serious nature of their offences. The Earps systematically fleeced their customers, putting some of them in danger in the process.

Since the creation of television character Arthur Daley there has been a tendency to regard any secondhand car dealer who flouts the law as a loveable rogue. But the Earps are nothing of the sort. They are callous conmen who revelled in their crookedness. Even after the pair had been convicted of fraud last month, they continued to sell cars to an unwary public.

Judge Taylor said the two men preyed on those least able to afford to lose their money. This in itself merited proper punishment.

But the Earps compounded their crime by selling a Mitsubishi Shogun in a dangerous and unworthy condition, describing it as being in "average condition throughout". Only good fortune prevented the hapless owner of the vehicle from being in an accident.

North Yorkshire trading standards, which brought the prosecution, said the jail sentences sent a message to the trade that this sort of dangerous practice will not be tolerated.

That message is underlined by consumer affairs minister Kim Howells' plan to introduce new powers to crack down on traders who clock cars and sell unsafe vehicles.

Fortunately the sort of deceits carried out by the Earps are rare. Most used car dealers are honest and trustworthy.

In York, motor dealers have signed a fair trade pledge, drawn up in conjunction with trading standards.

This excellent scheme boosts customer confidence and helps to deflect the damage caused by crooks like Earps senior and junior.

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