Bedfordshire County Council Trading Standards

Phone:	01234-228897
Fax:	01234-228255
Email:
Website:
Address:	County Hall Bedford
Postcode:	MK42 9AP

Bedfordshire Trading Standards

Introduction

Bedfordshire’s Trading Standards Service is based at County Hall, Bedford with a testing and analytical laboratory| at Gadsby Street, Bedford.

This Service has an annual budget of approximately £1 million. This amounts to a cost of £3 per resident.

The Bedfordshire Trading Standards Service is ISO 9000 accredited member. This accreditation governs the vast majority of the Service's functions, from the way it conducts visits and investigations through the purchasing of samples and other supplies to the issuing of licences for animal movements and explosive stores.

You can contact Trading Standards on any of the following: -

Telephone: (01234) 228 897

Fax: (01234) 228255

Email: business|@bedscc.gov.uk|

Bedfordshire County Council
Trading Standards Service
County Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP

Advice to businesses

We provide advice to businesses to help them comply with the law.

This Service is keen to show businesses in Bedfordshire what its authorised officers aim to cover in a programmed inspection under the Food Safety Act 1990. View our Model Inspection for Supermarket Visits| .

For more information on Enforcement and Licensing, please see the relevant sections below or contact the service.

Advice to consumers

Due to the ever increasing range of goods and services on offer—and the amount of legislation that covers them—life can be complicated for both consumers and traders.

Advice and support for consumers in Bedfordshire is now provided by Consumer Direct. Consumer Direct is a telephone and online consumer advice service, which is supported by local authorities in the east of England and by the Department of Trade and Industry.

To speak to a Consumer Direct adviser,
call 08454 04 05 06

(Minicom users should call on 08451 28 13 84).

A wide range of consumer information and advice is also available online from the Consumer Direct website|.

For more consumer advice in the form of guidance pamphlets and leaflets, or to find a trader you can trust, either contact the service or refer to the Trading Standards Approved| website.

Telephone: (01234) 228 897

Fax: (01234) 228 255

Email: consumer@bedscc.gov.uk|

Education

Consumer Direct receives approximately 600 complaints or enquiries every month from Bedfordshire residents. This demonstrates how consumers and traders are often not aware of their legal rights and responsibilities. It has been recognised that many of these could have been avoided if consumers and traders had received adequate education on the subject.

We offer talks to all local groups and organisations in Bedfordshire. If you would like to book one or find out more, please contact the service.

Enforcement

Bedfordshire Trading Standards Service has a statutory duty to enforce around 45 Acts of Parliament and more than 1000 Regulations and Orders. Officers regularly inspect local shops, importers and manufacturers to ensure they are complying with their obligations under the legislation. Where a trader is found to be breaking the law, we have the power to caution or prosecute.

Officers will investigate criminal complaints made against traders in Bedfordshire (excluding Luton) and they will also give advice and send out leaflets on a range of other consumer matters.

These are some of our key areas of work.

Animal Health and Welfare

We inspect and regulate issues related to the controlling of animal disease—Foot and Mouth, for example—and the protection of farm animals from mistreatment.

Fair Trade

The Fair Trading Act states that it is an offence for any business to display any sign which tries to limit a buyer's rights, including signs such as 'No Refunds' or 'Sold as Seen'. As well as being illegal, these signs do not, in fact, limit buyers' rights at all.

Food and Agriculture

Trading Standards is involved in checking on the complete food chain: from the food consumed by farm animals to the food on your plate.

Food Labelling

For labelling information look on the Consumer Direct Website.|

Product Safety

We inspect and regulate everything to do with product safety, from the safety of children’s toys and the sale of cigarettes and solvents to children, to dangerous second-hand cars and overloaded vehicles. We also deal with the licensing of petrol sites.

Prosecution Register

The Prosecution Register records if businesses have been prosecuted for health and safety breaches. In relation to petroleum and firework storage, the details will be available on the Health and Safety Executive| website.

Rabies Protection

Management of the control and investigation into outbreaks of infectious disease are carried out in close liaison with the local authority. Any person who suspects that an animal has Rabies| should immediately contact the local Trading Standards Office, the Police, or the Department of Food and Rural Affairs. This is a legal requirement made under the provisions of the Animal Health Act 1981 (as amended).

Retail

The service aims to ensure that any retailer operating in the area is confident that they can do so in the knowledge that they are operating in a fair, safe and equitable trading environment.

Investigating Rogue Traders

We investigate traders who break consumer laws, including the turning back of car mileages (known as ‘clocking’) the selling of pirate copies of products (known as counterfeit goods), and loan sharks—unlicensed money lenders who prey on the vulnerable.

Safety

Many consumer goods such as toys, electrical items, upholstered furniture, bicycles, cooking utensils and cosmetics are purchased, examined and tested by or on behalf of the Service to ensure that they comply with the requirements imposed by the Consumer Protection Act and EC Directives. The safe storage of petrol and explosives is also controlled by the Service.

Trade Descriptions

We inspect to make sure that the prices you are quoted and the description of goods and services are accurate.

Weights and Measures

From checking the quantity control systems in a food manufacturer, to making certain that you receive the full pint of beer in your local or the full litre of petrol at your garage, the Trading Standards Service inspects and regulates the correct usage of weights and measures. We also offer an independent and impartial calibration and verification service for weighing and measuring equipment. Click for information of Public Weighbridge Certificates|.

Underage Sales to Children

We protect young people by stopping under age sales of restricted products that contributes to anti-social behaviour within our community.

Legislation

A wide range of legislation controls the supply of goods and services.

From here you can download the following files:

A summary of legislation in England and Wales|

A classified list of legislation in England and Wales|

Copies of Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments can be obtained from The Stationery Office (formerly HMSO)|.

Licensing

There are a number of business practices that require a licence that needs to be issued by the Trading Standards Service. We licence premises keeping or selling petroleum, explosives (including fireworks) and poisons.

Animal Movements

All movements of cattle, deer, sheep, goats and pigs are controlled by a general license. Holdings are still subject to a standstill period and bio-security measures.

Fireworks

A local authority provides guidance leaflets and materials for organisers of firework displays for the public, retailers selling fireworks, schools and the media, including the firework safety code.

Fireworks are a traditional part of enjoying celebrations such as Bonfire Night or New Year but they are the cause of many hundreds of serious accidents every year - it should be remembered that they are dangerous explosives. The safest way to enjoy them is to go to a professionally organised event.

License to Sell Explosives

The law has recently changed with new legislation being brought in to deal with the manufacture and storage of explosives.

Explosives Licence Service Description Explosives must not be stored unless the premises are registered with the local authority. Premises can only be registered on the application of the occupier. Where different premises adjoin each other and are occupied together they are deemed to be one set of premises and cannot be separately registered.

Non-Medicinal Poisons Licensing

The Poisons Act 1972 requires us to register all persons who wish to sell substances listed in Part II of the Poisons List Order.

Petroleum Filling Stations

The local authority is responsible for ensuring safety at sites where petrol is delivered, stored and dispensed.

Petroleum and Petroleum Licensing

The local fire authority is responsible for ensuring safety at sites where petrol is delivered, stored and dispensed. Any premises where petroleum products are stored must have a licence issued by the local fire authority.

If you store more than 15 litres of petroleum spirit (petrol) then you will almost certainly need a licence to do so. (There are one or two exceptions to this rule – contact us for more details).

Poisons

The Poisons Act 1972 requires us to register all persons who wish to sell substances listed in Part II of the Poisons List Order.

For more information on licensing click on the links below:-

Trading Standards Approved

Setting the Standard

Trade Guide to the Scheme|

Consumer Guide to the Scheme|

Home Improvements List of Members|

Motor Trade List of Members|

Application Form for Trading Standards Approved|

Members Feedback Report|

Customer Feedback|

Guidance Notes and Leaflets|

What is Trading Standards Approved?

Trading Standards Approved is a Bedfordshire Trading Standards Service initiative. The aim of the scheme is to improve business standards and increase customer confidence in member businesses. Approved businesses have agreed to abide by the terms and conditions of the scheme and have been checked by Trading Standards to ensure compliance.

Each year Bedfordshire Trading Standards Service receives in the region of nine thousand complaints about businesses in the County. By far the highest proportion of these relates to car sales, car servicing and the businesses associated with home improvements. This scheme is a positive move to improve the way in which traders deal with consumers. There is no place in it for rogue traders who do not care for customer satisfaction or compliance with the law.

What is in it for you, the trader?

Independent recognition of your business standards.
Potential for increased business with consumers encouraged to use local traders.
TSA membership certificate for display and use of the scheme’s logo.
Pre-entry vetting to make sure your business meets the scheme’s high standards.
Promotion of your company as a TSA business with your company name on the Trading Standards Approved list and on the County Council website with a hotlink to your company website.
Improved consumer confidence in your business or service.

What is in it for you, the consumer?

Consumers can check with Trading Standards to see which businesses are members of the scheme before purchasing goods or services.

The scheme is voluntary. By joining the scheme businesses are demonstrating a commitment to customer care and fair-trading.

Trading Standards will continue to work closely with scheme members, and will carry out monitoring exercises to help make sure high standards are maintained.

How can I find out more?