A Bradford man who sold cars which had been clocked by more than 300,000 miles in total will have to go to Crown Court for sentence.

Bradford magistrates heard how the odometers in two Rovers, a Saab and a Vauxhall Carlton had been turned back to show substantially less than their original mileage.

Three of the four vehicles had their mileage reading more than halved, prosecutor Richard Winter told the court.

Akif Rashid Butt, 32, of Leeds Road, Thornbury, pleaded guilty to four charges of supplying goods with a false trade description.

The magistrates decided their powers of punishment were inadequate and bailed him to appear before the city's Crown Court for sentence.

Mr Winter said an investigation was launched after one of the buyers complained to West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service.

It was found the cars had all been bought from a motor auction in Leeds during October and November 1999 under the name M K Motors. They were then sold on at a higher price and with lower odometer readings.

One of the Rovers had its reading reduced by 86,000 miles, the second by 60,000, the Saab by 80,000 and the Vauxhall by 83,000.

Butt was interviewed and admitted selling the cars, but said he had done so for his cousin who was studying in Czechoslovakia.

The cousin denied having anything to do with car sales, stating he was in Czechoslovakia at the time they were bought, said Mr Winter.

Rachim Singh, mitigating, said Butt had never accepted he had purchased the vehicles or that he knew they had been "clocked.''

"There is no evidence to show that he was responsible for changing any of the mileages,'' added Mr Singh.