TRADING standards officials are warning local businesses to beware after a spate of deliveries of goods that weren't ordered by the recipient.

Officers have received a complaint about a company based in York which is sending credit card and till rolls to businesses, together with demands for payment - without anyone ordering them.

The company appears to have a York address, with a registered office in London, though the delivery receipts come from France.

The city's trading standards manager, Elizabeth Levett, said: "There are strict laws governing companies requesting payment for unsolicited goods.

"It is an offence for anyone to demand payment for unsolicited goods, but in order to take action, we would have to be able to prove that the sender didn't know the goods were unsolicited."

Trading standards officers are advising anyone who receives payment demands for unsolicited items to write to the sender asking them to collect the goods.

If the firm disputes that the items are unsolicited, businesses should ask them to provide proof of when an order was placed and by whom.

The letter must also inform the company that the items were not requested and should give dates and times when it is convenient for the products to be collected.