A SENIOR detective from Bolton believes a new system of checks in the way secondhand cars are bought and sold could drastically reduce car crime.

Det Insp Andy Cunliffe, from Bolton CID, has suggested that “car cloning” crime could be cut if people acting as third party referees verified the identities of sellers and buyers, and that vehicles were genuine.

Car cloning is a scam in which stolen vehicles are given false number plates and identity papers before being sold.

In July, The Bolton News reported on a gang called The Ice Bandits who specialised in stealing cars which were left with their engines running to warm-up on frosty mornings.

The gang put false number plates on the stolen cars and put them up for sale on the internet, conning thousands of pounds from unsuspecting buyers.

The issue has now been taken up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) which is in talks with the DVLA) about how any system could work and when it could be introduced.

Det Insp Cunliffe said: “Advice on buying cars is already offered by motoring agencies such as the AA or RAC.

“However, an independent examination of the vehicle and its documents would be the best crime prevention tool. This system would, in my opinion, reduce car crime quite considerably, and lead to fewer victims — not only those who have lost a vehicle but those who have been sold a ringer.”

Figures show 75,000 cars a year disappear without trace in the UK.

ACPO is looking at the French system where both parties must go to a town hall registration authority to show their documentation is correct.