What powers do Trading Standards Officers have?
Officers have the power to enter and inspect trade and business premises. The exact power varies according to circumstances. It is a criminal offence to obstruct an officer who is trying to carry out his/her duty. Officers try to be polite at all times, explain what they are doing and why. The main areas of criminal law covered by the service are: – short weight or measure, safety of consumer goods, false or misleading descriptions relating to goods and services, failure to display selling prices of goods and misleading price indications, product counterfeiting, consumer credit malpractice, age restricted sales (e.g. tobacco and alcohol products, lighter fuel, solvents, knives and fireworks). Trading Standards has no power to close businesses down or to force a trader to refund money or exchange goods. Our role is to advise on how the law applies and how a dispute may be resolved. The service can, however, use the provisions of the Enterprise Act to prohibit businesses acting against t
