The second-hand caravan market is usually a good place to pick up a bargain, but one company has warned potential buyers to be wary.

Safeguard, a caravan insurance firm, has urged buyers to be vigilant when shopping for their latest holiday getaway as a number of flood-damaged write offs are appearing on the market, reports FemaleFirst.

According to the firm, many rogue sellers have been choosing to sell on vehicles which have already been claimed for on insurance policies as being flood damaged.

By using quick fixes like a new carpet and a new board the caravan may appear as good as new, but is still not usable.

Rita Sadler, manager of the caravan insurance firm, said: "It's both heartbreaking and dangerous to see people spending their money on a caravan that's not fit for the road."

To ensure you are not spending your money on a broken model, buyers are urged to check with the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme.

Caravan owners have been warned of other crime lately by the Doncaster Police Crime Reduction Unit, as a spree of thefts of vehicles has occurred across the country.

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