Clamp down on rogue traders

The cash, from the government's £30m Modernisation Fund, is aimed at helping Trading Standards officers clamp down on rogue traders.

Authorities in Darlington, Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland have worked in partnership to gain £90,000 from the fund to pay for a garage good trader endorsement scheme.

Jeff Bell, chief Trading Standards officer for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said that the scheme will involve auditing garages which sell both new and second-hand cars.

"Garages volunteering to join the scheme will have an audit to make sure they comply with Trading Standards law and other principles. If they pass the audit they will be able to display a logo signifying Trading Standards approval. It is hoped it will give consumers some kind of guide about where they can obtain fair trade and help to promote good garages."

Trading Standards in the Northern Counties will receive £96,400 over the next two years. This money will be used to create an internet crime unit specialising in investigating trade on the internet, and a forensic computer lab which will allow experts to inspect company computers.

Stuart Pudney, secretary of the Northern Counties regional group, explained that a high level of expertise is required in IT in order to investigate company files and information kept on computers.

"The internet crime unit is needed because people are increasingly buying things over the net and in the same way as officers inspect shops, we need to be able to investigate internet companies.

"None of the counties on their own could afford to have these resources, but by coming together in this way we can all use them.