Worcestershire County Council’s Trading Standards Service discharges the authority’s many (around 250) statutory duties relating to consumer protection and business regulation.

The Council is the statutory enforcement authority for:

• Weights and Measures Law
• Food and Agricultural Standards laws
• Product Safety Law
• Fair Trading Laws
• Animal Health law

This covers a wide range of legal controls which protect the residents and law-abiding businesses of Worcestershire.

What we do

Weights and measures

Weights and Measures is to do with the accuracy of equipment used in trade and the accuracy of weights indicated on pre-packed goods. 

Food and agricultural standards

Food and Agricultural Standards looks at the description of food products and what they contain, as opposed to the safety of food production, which is covered by our Environmental Health colleagues in WRS. 

Animal feed is also regulated to ensure protections for the animals and the food chain.

Product safety

All goods that consumers can purchase are caught by the Product Safety functions of the service as well as it covering a range of other products and aspects of their technical compliance and safety (e.g. construction products, electromagnetic compatibility of products, machinery safety.) 

Everything from toys to upholstered furniture, electrical goods to children’s nightwear can be subject to examination and testing.

Fair trading

Fair Trading is a very diverse range of legislation, encompassing everything from misleading prices to illicit tobacco controls, and “clocked” cars to counterfeit goods. 

Scams and the activities of rogue builders also feature in this category, along with sales to minors of age-restricted products like alcohol and tobacco.

Animal health

The team also enforces the control regimes around notifiable animal diseases that can damage the farming industry like bird flu, swine fever and foot and mouth disease. 

How we do it

The service’s 13 staff focus on:

• the investigation of criminal offences and these activities are governed by the same legal processes as other law enforcement organisations. 
• offer assured advice to local businesses under the Primary Authority approach

All of this work supports the operation of legitimate businesses whilst tackling the rogues and protecting the public.

This work also links in to the key priorities of the Council around Open for Business, protecting Children and Families and helping ensure the Health and Well-being of our Communities.