A MAN poured oil into the engine of a secondhand car he claimed to be interested in buying.

Onica Vaduva and two other men visited a property in St Ives on Sunday, February 12 to buy a car advertised on Gumtree.

The men allegedly distracted the seller before Vaduva, 20, poured oil into the coolant system.

All three men then pointed out the 'fault' to the seller and offered to buy the car for a reduced amount, police say.

The victim managed to take down the number plate of the vehicle the men had arrived in and their car was stopped by police later that evening.

Vaduva, of Sawyer Close in Enfield, London, admitted causing criminal damage to property at Poole Magistrates' Court on December 8.

He was handed a three-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, and ordered to pay the victim £1,024 in compensation.

The victim called police shortly before 8.30pm to report the incident.

Two other men, aged 23 and 24 and both from the London area, were released without charge.

PC Adam Carter of Weymouth CID said: "I would like to praise the quick thinking actions of the victim in this case who quickly reported the incident to police and gave us the plate which allowed us to make the arrest.

"If you do put your car up for sale please be aware of anyone operating as described and to report anything suspicious to police so we can investigate."