Thousands of faulty...

Thousands of faulty logbooks have been stolen from the DVLA and "several hundred" are already in circulation being used to sell cloned cars, says the red-faced Government agency responsible for driver data.

Now it"s warning motorists to look out for used cars being sold with dodgy paperwork, as it could be a stolen vehicle that has been given a false identity.

A spokeswoman wouldn"t confirm how the registration documents went missing, but admitted: "We sent the faulty batch to a secure shredding company to destroy them and are now conducting an investigation into how the documents disappeared."

Bosses at vehicle history checker HPI say 11 motorists have already narrowly avoided being stung, after calling the firm about vehicles being sold with the faulty documents.

Motorists can find the V5C"s serial number on the top right of the certificate. The incorrect batch start with the letters BG, followed by a number from 9167501 to 9190500. The DVLA says the paperwork also has a different backч­ground colour on the Notification of Permanent Export (V5C/4) slip on the second page. This is mauve on the front and pink on the reverse - legitimate documents are mauve on both sides.

Concerned buyers can call the DVLA"s helpline on 0870 241 1878 or log on to www.dvla.gov.uk to check a certificate is genuine before buying.