A CAR dealer who put lives in danger by selling an unsafe Mercedes from his Christchurch garage has been ordered to pay more than £7,000 in fines, costs and compensation.

Simon Bentley, previously trading as Barrack Road Car Sales, pleaded guilty to one charge of selling an unroadworthy car and another of misleading advertising at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court.

In August 2013 Bentley sold a Mercedes Benz C180 for £6,500, which had previously been written-off and had not been properly repaired.

When the new owner took the car for an oil change he was told the anti-roll bar had been removed.

Investigations carried out by Dorset County Council’s trading standards service, which led the prosecution, revealed Bentley had instructed an independent garage to remove the damaged part before the sale.

The defects meant “danger was likely to be caused to any person in the vehicle or on the road”, trading standards said.

Bentley, of Littledown Avenue, Bournemouth, also told the customer the car had one previous keeper, when it had actually had three.

The 24-year-old was fined £250 on each of the two offences and ordered to pay compensation of £4,000, costs of £2,564.60 and a victim surcharge of £60.

Bentley’s solicitor said his client was new to the car trade and has since left the business.