Trading Standards

Our trading standards service is responsible for protecting consumers and businesses by ensuring a safe and fair-trading environment. Our areas of work include:

  • safety of consumer goods
  • weights & measures
  • counterfeit goods
  • petroleum and explosives licensing
  • rogue trading/doorstep crime
  • scams 
  • underage sales 
  • description of goods or services 

Trading Standards can -

  • investigate persistent and/or serious criminal activities, for example those involving fraud, counterfeiting, scams, doorstep crime and persistent consumer detriment;
  • support and protect vulnerable people from financial abuse and repeat victimisation by implementing protective measures e.g truecall nuisance call blocking, no cold calling zones, vulnerable consumer advice and advocacy services;
  • take appropriate action where a trader or business has breached consumer protection legislation;
  • support businesses by offering business advice and guidance;
  • audit high risk businesses.

Trading Standards can't -

  • give advice or opinions to consumers about their individual complaints. Consumer advice and complaint handling is carried out by Citizens Advice Consumer Service on behalf of Trading Standards;
  • take court action on your behalf in the civil courts;
  • get you your money back;
  • tell you if we are investigating a business or give you information that we hold about them.