Vehicle information provider HPI has welcomed the first-ever jailing of the owner of a mileage correction firm. Michael Ogle from Swindon was jailed for nine months – the first time a provider of mileage correction services rather than a supplier of clocked vehicles has been jailed.

This follows recent steps by HPI to lobby parliament to shut down such firms, by launching an e-petition and calling for a fight against mileage correction firms.

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HPI consumer services manager Nicola Johnson said: "It is fantastic to see decisive action against the owners of these firms, who until now have acted without seeing any consequences, all the while costing used car buyers thousands. But we still need more action and this where we need you, the public, to get behind us and make your voice heard."

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigated mileage correction firms in 2010, estimating the potential loss to consumers to be around £580m a year. The OFT said legitimate reasons for mileage adjustment were extremely rare and, at the time of its investigation, there were more than 50 websites advertising mileage correction services, now increased to 71.

Landmark prosecution

OFT senior director Ali Nikpay said: "Thousands of consumers are paying over the odds for cars that have had their mileage illegally tampered with. This landmark prosecution sends a clear message out to those adjusting car mileages that they face prison if they break the law.

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"We will be working closely with our enforcement partners to raise standards across the sector and ensure that appropriate action is taken where mileage correction businesses break the law."

"As the OFT has confirmed – car clocking is not a victimless crime," added Johnson. "We must not be complacent in allowing companies with only a tenuous excuse for their existence, offering a service that ultimately costs consumers, to continue trading. The first blow has now been struck."