A MAN with a car marred in the emissions scandal has said the dealership should be doing more for its customers and that "the British public deserve better".

Adrian Walker, 55, looked on bemused as headlines blared the news that Volkswagen (VW) had been fiddling software to disguise how much greenhouse gasses had been coming from its cars.

The VW scandal broke in late 2015 after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in America found many of its cars had a ‘defect device’ that disguised their emissions.

The German car manufacturer admitted around 11 million cars worldwide had been affected by the problem and the engines could be emitting polluting nitrogen oxide at levels 40 times those allowed under US law.

It was only later that Mr Walker found his Audi A4 estate, bought from the Audi dealership off London Road, Tetbury, had been caught up in the scandal.

“When they recall my car they’ll change the bit of software. But if they can do that now, why didn’t they do that five years ago? I think the British public deserve better,” said Mr Walker.

“I’m upset that I bought a car that I thought was going to meet emissions standards and not pollute too much.”

Disappointed the car he splashed out on for its fuel efficient and green credentials has to be recalled, Mr Walker said Audi drivers had a “rough deal” with poor customer service, but added the problems were with the group as a whole, not the Tetbury dealership.

The Dorset resident added he had been told the car was safe to drive but that is was kicking out far more nitrous oxide than it should.

“In America they gave something like $1,000 dollars to every owner of an Audi as a gesture that would have been good here,” he said.

Mr Walker, who bought the Audi in 2010, said the letter from Audi UK warning him about the scandal should have come from the Tetbury dealership.

He has lodged a complaint with trading standards in Gloucester and has asked Audi to give him a courtesy car as he does not want to be “spewing out” nitrous oxide.

Robin Davies, product affairs manager, for Audi UK, said : “The US and European situations are very different. In Europe we have an approved technical solution, we have a timeline and we know how long the technical solution will take for each customer when they are in the workshop (around 30 minutes for affected 2.0 TDI models and up to one hour for affected 1.6 TDI models).

"In the US there is still no confirmed solution, and therefore no timeline. The solutions required are also expected to be significantly more disruptive and therefore expected to take longer when in the workshop. The US goodwill payment reflects that uncertainty.

“In Europe we are working to minimise the inconvenience to customers through reduced job times and incorporation of the work within routine servicing by an Audi Authorised Repairer where suitable.

He added: "In the event that customers require alternative transport while the work is undertaken on their cars we will also look at offering this where appropriate, however we are not in a position to provide courtesy vehicles outside of these circumstances or to contribute to the rental of an alternative vehicle as we believe that doing so would be unnecessary.

"All affected cars are technically safe and roadworthy and can continue to be driven until the work is completed.”