The director of a Bristol-based accident claims company has been fined for inventing a road accident so that he could trace the owner of a number plate that he wanted to offer to buy.

Miles Savory, a director at Accident Claims Handlers Ltd, filed official forms to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) requesting the identity of the registered keeper of a particular car which he claimed had been involved in a collision, according to a statement from the Information Commissioner’s Office on Thursday.

The ICO said that the owner of that car later received a letter Mr Savory offering to buy his registration plate, which reads W1 DOW. The driver subsequently complained to the DVLA, triggering an internal investigation which revealed what Mr Savory had done.

Police later confirmed that the vehicle in question had not been in the area of the alleged crash at the time. Its owner lived in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, at the time.

After appearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court, Mr Savory was fined £335, ordered to pay £364.08 in costs, as well as a victim surcharge of £33.

“This was an unusual case in many ways, but one which demonstrates the lengths some people will go to in order to get hold of personal information,” said Steve Eckersley, ICO’s head of enforcement.