Trading Standards

Trading Standards services are provided by Lancashire County Council. They are here to protect the interests of Lancashire consumers and businesses. They enforce consumer protection legislation and provide free advice to consumers and honest businesses.

They enforce legislation controlling the quantity, quality, price, description,and safety of most goods and services.  Other duties also include animal health, petroleum and explosives enforcement and licensing activities e.g. fireworks/explosives, petroleum, poisons, animal movements.

To ensure compliance, we investigate complaints, undertake visits to businesses, advise traders and consumers, and sample, test and survey goods and services.

All enquiries are recorded and evaluated. Appropriate complaints may be dealt with immediately, be referred for a later inspection, or the information used to assess trading patterns or malpractices, or for campaigns to improve consumer laws.

Planned or complaint follow-up visits are undertaken to business premises, shops, livestock markets etc., to ensure compliance with the laws we enforce.  Goods, foods and services may be 'test purchased' or sampled to ensure their conformity. Business activities will be regularly monitored, e.g. sales of fireworks/cigarettes to children, counterfeit sales/production etc.

Trading Standards support the Enforcement Concordat by stating our policies and seeking to be open, helpful and consistent in our enforcement activities. Any trader concerned about our actions is entitled to a clear explanation. They consider investigation and prosecution of offences in accordance with our enforcement policy, which has regard to the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the Enforcement Concordat.

Help to Consumers 

Trading Standards provide free advice and assistance to consumers experiencing difficulties with goods and services. Consumer Civil Laws set out consumer rights of redress in respect of the quality of goods and services. They cannot enforce these laws, but can provide advice and assistance in the pursuit of justifiable claims including, where appropriate, mediation with traders, assistance in the preparation and presentation of claims in the County Courts and compensation in Magistrates Courts.