In these straitened times it is tempting to believe that anything which saves families a bob or two can only be a good thing.

However, what may seem like a bargain at first glance can prove anything but.

A case in point is second-hand cars bought from roadside dealers.

Let’s be clear about what is meant here. These are not reputable forecourt garages. Nor are they private motorists trying to sell a family car.

These are people who operate on the fringes of the trade and the law, often offering unsuspecting buyers un-roadworthy vehicles picked up for a song at auction.

When something goes wrong, as it almost inevitably does, there is nowhere to turn, with mobile phone numbers ringing out and dealers seemingly vanishing into thin air.

But the potential cost to wallets and risks to personal safety are not the only dangers.

These traders deprive hard-pressed legitimate businesses of vital customers in difficult times, potentially threatening firms which pay their taxes and provide jobs.

And roadsides littered with dodgy vehicles for sale do nothing for the look of a place and may even be hazardous to drivers and pedestrians alike.

The warning from Bradford’s Safer Communities Partnership about this matter is timely and one that should be heeded.

Such traders are said not to be a major problem in this area, and it would be nice for that situation to continue.