The governments car scrappage initiative announced in the recent budget came into force on Monday to a mixed reception from the public and green campaigners.

The scheme aims to boost the countrys ailing car industry and help the environment by offering motorists a 2,000 incentive to scrap their 10-year old cars in order to buy new models.

However, Friends of the Earth branded the scheme a lost opportunity saying that it doesnt prevent motorists part-exchanging an old, small model for a brand new gas guzzler."

Details of the 300 million scheme angered environmental groups at the time because it did not limit drivers to buying new cars with low emissions.

Campaigners fear that perfectly efficient older cars may end up being scrapped in favour of less efficient newer models and the scheme could affect the used car industry.

Used car dealers have already seen a surge in the value of used cars as the recession has seen people holding on to their cars rather than upgrading and therefore quality used cars are now harder to come buy.

As a result, private sellers and dealers are casting their net wider, using the Internet to help them reach a larger audience.

Over 750 dealers and hundreds of private sellers in the UK have signed up to online car portal www.Autoweb.co.uk, which allows private sellers to advertise for free.

The site is attracting 15,000 unique visits every day from motorists looking for a bargain quality used car.

The benefits of buying and selling in this way are manifold. The site allows eight photos of the vehicle to be displayed as well as full details of the cars condition, age etc.

The handy search tool makes finding a particular make and model fast and simple and the site even carries reviews of almost all car makes to help the customer find a car that is right for them and make informed decisions when buying.

No other web site offers such a comprehensive list of cars for sale in the UK, with dealers and private sellers all in one place.

With quality used cars now commanding a premium, motorists could find they net more for their used car by selling it online than they would through using the governments scrappage scheme.