AN extension to the Government’s scrappage scheme has been backed by a Swindon car dealer.

Changes have been made to the scheme, which now includes cars aged nine years old.

Van owners looking to trade in their vehicles will also now be able to scrap their eight-year-old van instead of the previous 10-year requirement.

In September it was announced that an extra £100 million was proposed for the Government’s scrappage scheme bringing the total budget to £400m and covering up to 400,000 vehicles.

David Allison, a commercial and business specialist at Skurrays Vauxhall, said he was delighted that the Government had ‘finally seen sense’.

He said: “I am confident this extension will help bring business through the doors.”

The scheme will come to an end in February 2010.