Issued By North Yorkshire County Council

SECOND HAND GOODS TO BE SAFETY ASSURED

SECOND HAND dealers in North Yorkshire will now be able to guarantee the safety of items which they sell following a major initiative by North of England Trading Standards Services.

New business support packages including advice on safety, simple checklists and safety "passed" stickers are being distributed free of charge by trading standards officers to dealers throughout the area.

Councillor John Dennis, North Yorkshire County Council's executive member, said: "Sellers of second hand goods are both an important and significant trade sector in this area. We want to encourage and support dealers, but at the same time it is vital that goods are always safe. Just because something is sold at a cheap price is no excuse for compromising safety. That is the law and I hope that this new initiative will benefit both buyers and sellers alike."

Traders across the county are expected to find the packs most useful. Julie Cornforth Bew of Peter's Electrical Centre and Westgarth Furniture in Northallerton said: "Like all responsible dealers of second hand goods we go to great lengths to make certain the goods we supply are safe. This new initiative by North Yorkshire Trading Standards will assist us in this process and at the same time ensure that the public are better informed."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The North of England Trading Standards Group consists of the county authorities of Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire, Cumbria and West Yorkshire Joint Services. These authorities serve a population of over 5 million.

Executive Member: Cllr John Dennis (Con) 01609 883349. Group Spokespeople: Cllr Mrs Caroline Seymour (Lib-Dem) 01642 710382; Cllr John Ritchie (Lab) 01723 366673.