Press Release Issued By
North Yorkshire County Council
Trading Standards

TRADING STANDARDS SERVICES in the north of the country were informed yesterday by the new Minister for Consumer Affairs, Melanie Johnson, that they had been successful in a bid to establish a trading standards internet crime unit and forensic computer laboratory in the region.

The two-year project, which will be part funded by a Department of Trade and Industry grant, will be based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. It will provide a dedicated unit with expertise in investigating dishonest Internet traders and other trading standards computer related offences.

Stuart Pudney, head of trading standards and regulatory services said:

"I am delighted at this news. Every day more consumer transactions are made over the Internet. Virtually every type of product and service is available over the internet and consumers need to be protected from false descriptions, misleading prices, inaccurate credit deals and a whole range of consumer related frauds. Alongside the massive increase in legitimate trading on the Internet, there has also been a major rise in its use by bogus and unscrupulous traders looking to use the Internet as a place to hide and take advantage of consumers.

The new Internet crime unit will support trading standards officers in the region and help them react to the new technology used by traders."

The new unit will also have the expertise to forensically examine computers seized by trading standards officers in the course of their investigations. This will enable officers to retrieve valuable evidence of the trading activities of businesses found breaking the law.

The unit is being established by the Northern Counties Group of Trading Standards Services which comprises of North Yorkshire, Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland, West Yorkshire and Lancashire.

19.06.'01

CONTACT: Richard Flinton on 01609 766421