Business regulation

The enforcement team works with businesses to promote a fair and equitable trading environment for traders and consumers in Middlesbrough. The service promotes the economic vitality of the town through advice and intervention to inform and give confidence to consumers and create successful businesses that comply with legal requirements.

This is achieved in a number of ways:

• Routine risk based visits to traders' premises to offer advice and assistance
• Targeted audits of particular trade sectors to address specific concerns or in response to changes in legislation
• Special projects aimed at raising awareness of current issues of concern to consumers
• Respond to individual requests from traders for advice and assistance on legislation
• If the fair trading environment is seriously compromised or guidance has not been adhered to, the ultimate sanction is either prosecution or injunctive action under the Enterprise Act 2002 to ensure compliance.

The range of goods subject to regulation is vast, but some of our main areas include:

• Safety of goods such as toys and electrical appliances. We conduct market surveillance and make test purchases to check compliance with safety regulations
• Ensuring goods and services are not misdescribed or sold unfairly. This includes holidays, new and second-hand cars, property sales and the sale of counterfeit goods
• Controlling misleading prices and consumer credit. This includes monitoring sales promotions to ensure the bargains are genuine and the credit market to look at practices that are potentially unfair to consumers
• Ensuring the accuracy of weighing and measuring equipment and of declared quantities on products. We check traders' weighing and measuring equipment and make regular checks on everyday products such as bread, and fruit and vegetables
• Monitoring the sale of age-restricted products. We conduct test-purchasing exercises to ensure products such as alcohol, tobacco, aerosols and fireworks are not sold to young people.

If you require further online assistance with a business enquiry you can find a lot more information on the Trading Standards Institute website.

If you are a Middlesbrough business and you need advice, please visit our Business advice page where you can either complete a series of questions which will tailor an advice pack to your needs or download individual advice leaflets.