A BROMSGROVE-based motorhome dealer, who forged documents to hide the history of a motorhome, has been given a suspended sentence, fines, costs and compensation totalling £16,656.87.

Richard Cooper, 47, and his company Alpine Motorhome appeared before Redditch magistrates after being found guilty at an earlier trial of offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, the Fraud Act 2006 and the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

Mr Cooper, of The Badgers, Barnt Green received a suspended prison sentence and was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work at the hearing on November 12.

He advertised and sold a motorhome for £17,000 to a customer without any reference to the fact that the vehicle had previously been in an accident and was an insurance write off.

After using the vehicle for a short time it developed serious faults but Mr Cooper refused to take it back.

He then provided a HPI check which detailed the vehicle’s history but failed to identify the vehicle as having previously been involved in an accident and recorded as a Category C write off.

An investigation by Trading Standards officers from Worcestershire Regulatory Services began when the customer decided to sell the motorhome and obtained a new HPI check.

This revealed the vehicle's true history and enquires were raised with regards to the HPI check that Mr Cooper provided. It became apparent it was a forgery and deliberately altered.

Mr Cooper was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work. He was disqualified from being a company director for two years. He was also ordered to pay costs of £4,659.96, a victim surcharge of £100 and £10,000 compensation to the vehicle purchaser who had had to sell it for scrap. Mr Cooper’s company, Alpine Motorhomes Ltd was also fined £1,000 for two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and ordered to pay £846.91 in costs and a victim surcharge of £50.

WRS joint committee chairman Cllr Bronwen Behan said: “This case highlights the vital work done by our Trading Standards officers to ensure that consumers are protected from unscrupulous businesses wanting to make easy money at their expense.

“The sentence handed down by magistrates in this case shows how seriously such matters are viewed.”