What can Trading Standards do to stop businesses that break the law?

In most cases, businesses are keen to comply with the law and to avoid the risks and expenses of formal enforcement action. Many breaches of trading standards law are resolved through advice and agreed remedial actions by the business (which might include changing products, systems, labelling or advertising and/or arranging redress for customers who have been affected by a breach).

However, Trading Standards always have formal enforcement options available to them. The decision to take formal action lies with the local authority, but it is likely that formal action will be taken in cases where there is a serious breach (in terms of the detriment to customers or to other businesses through unfair competitive advantage) or where the business has failed to respond to or engage with informal attempts to secure compliance.