Mileage correction services could be outlawed in order to combat clocking in the used car sector.

The ban is one of several recommendations made by the Office of Fair Trading following its study of the UK’s second-hand car market.

The OFT is concerned that clocking costs consumers up to £580m a year due to the higher prices charged for lower mileage vehicles.

The OFT also wants VOSA to share vehicle mileage figures taken at MoT tests with companies such as HPI and Experian who provide vehicle data checks, and suggests motor auction houses could do the same each time a vehicle passes through their halls.

A spokesman said: “We believe that occasions where there are legitimate reasons to correct a car's mileage are very rare. Yet there are over 50 businesses in the UK openly offering 'mileage correction services'.

"We have a strong suspicion that many of these companies adjust mileages for illegitimate reasons.

"We take the view that the commercial practices of mileage correction businesses may breach the consumer protection regulations where the provision of such services is 'directly connected with the … promotion, sale or supply of a car to consumers'.”