Amarjit Spall, of Epping has joined a group of people who plan to sue Mercedes is over their role in the ‘dieselgate’ scandal.

In June 2018, Mercedes – along with BMW and Volkswagen – was found by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority to have fitted cheating software into their diesel engines, which limited emissions during testing, underrepresenting the true emissions released on the road.

This resulted in Mercedes diesel engines not complying with regulations on nitrogen oxide emissions.

The company was forced to recall 774,000 vehicles across Europe and owners now face potentially having to pay for their vehicles to be fixed so that they comply with emissions.

In July, the European Commission found that Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen Group, which includes VW, Audi and Porsche, had breached antitrust rules by colluding to avoid further progress in the development of technology on lowering NOx emissions in their diesel vehicles.

Amarjit Spall is working with national consumer rights law firm Slater and Gordon to bring the claim.

He commented: "I was shocked to learn of Mercedes’ use of defeat devices in their diesel cars and am keen that all of us who have been let down by Mercedes should receive the compensation we are due.

“It was especially disappointing to see that Mercedes colluded with other car manufacturers to suppress technology that could have reduced the vehicles’ emissions and protected the environment."

The claim is expected to become a group action litigation, with tens of thousands of affected consumers working together.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said: "Mercedes-Benz is appealing against the administrative orders of the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, KBA).

The courts will clarify the correct interpretation of relevant legal standards in this complex technical environment.

“In our view, the emission control functionalities objected to in the administrative orders by KBA are permissible.

"Nonetheless, Mercedes-Benz has implemented the recall measures ordered by the KBA and undertaking voluntary measures for other Diesel-powered vehicles in order to reduce on average NOx emissions in real driving."

It is estimated that 600,000 Mercedes vehicles in the UK may have been affected, residents can check if a vehicle they own, or have owned was impacted by the scandal here.