London - British car sales rose for the first time in 15 months in July, a trend attributed largely to a government-backed incentive scheme to swap older cars for a new model, the authorities said Thursday.

Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders (SMMT) showed that sales of new cars rose by 2.4 in July, compared with the same month in 2008.

The number of new cars sold in July was given as 157,149. But so far this year, car sales figures are still down by 22.8 per cent compared with the same period a year ago.

The government introduced a "cash for bangers" scheme in May, under which buyers receive an incentive of 2,000 pounds (3,400 dollars) towards a new car if they scrap one that is more than 10 years old.

Half of the money is paid by the government and half by the car industry. The scheme is due to expire in March, 2010. (dpa)