The Trading Standards Service has a range of responsibilities which focus on promoting a fair and safe trading environment for businesses and their customers. Much of this is based on actions to ensure compliance with legislation about the quality, quantity and safety of goods and services and the truth of descriptions, advertising and marketing claims about products.

Give You Clear Information and Help
We publish general guidance leaflets for both consumers and businesses to help you comply with legal requirements which we enforce. These cover such areas as labelling and composition of food and textile products, farm animals are free from disease and treated humanely at markets and whilst in transit and the safety of consumer goods. We can also provide more detailed advice for individual enquiries.

Ensure Open Decision Making by Us
In providing guidance and advice, or in respect of any of our dealings with you, our staff will always be willing to discuss details of your particular case and the reasoning behind their decisions. Where there are obligatory requirements this will be made clear to you to distinguish it from advice on “good practice”. The advice will always include a reference to the relevant legislation under which it is given.

Adopt a Professional Approach to You
We operate a formal quality management system accredited to BS EN ISO : 9001 : 2000. Our staff are trained and have experience in enforcing legal requirements. When they visit you, or you contact them, they will always give their name and carry out their work in a polite and helpful manner. All our staff carry authorities, which identify them and their powers and/or identity cards which they will produce to you if you ask to see them.

Give Value for Money
Much of the service we provide is free of charge. However, where we do make charges such as those for the testing or hire of weighing or measuring equipment, you will be advised in advance of the costs. Our charges are agreed and published annually by the County Council.

We try to provide quality services which meet your needs. We have a Quality Management System accredited to EN ISO 9001 : 2000 and our commitment to developing our staff has been recognised by the achievement of the Investors in People Award.

Responding to You
We aim to answer telephone calls within 12 seconds. If you write to us we will acknowledge receipt of your letter within three working days on 90% of occasions.

Giving Advice and Guidance on Legal Requirements
If you ask us for general information we will respond within three working days on 90% of occasions. If you require a detailed response to a specific enquiry about the law's application to your business we will try to reply within 20 working days (we aim to deal with 90% of such enquiries within this time). If your enquiry is likely to take longer to answer you will be told this and also who is dealing with your enquiry and the anticipated date of completion.

Testing and Certifying Your Weighing and Measuring Equipment to Legalise its Use in Trade
When you ask us to come to your premises to verify your equipment we will arrange to do the work within five working days unless a longer period is agreed. If you choose to submit the equipment to our office for verification we will complete the work within five working days unless otherwise agreed with you.

Testing Your Weighing and Measuring Equipment for Other Purposes
If you submit equipment to our office for us to test and certify its accuracy we will agree a completion date with you. Where necessary we will endeavour to complete the work within ten working days. If you require us to come to your premises for these purposes, within two working days of receipt of your request we will contact you to arrange an appointment to do the work.

If You have to Complain about Us or Our Services
If you have cause to complain about us or our services, we will, within two working days acknowledge receipt of your complaint and tell you the name of the officer who will investigate it. At the same time we will give you information about how your complaint will be dealt with under the County Council's procedure for handling complaints.

We recognise the importance of promoting equality across all the services we provide. Leicestershire Trading Standards is striving to ensure that all customers are able to access its services and are treated fairly regardless of:

If you have any comments or suggestions on the way we have delivered our services to you please let us know.  

There are a number of ways to inform us:  

If you would like to know more about Leicestershire County Council’s equality and diversity policy, please view the Equality & Diversity page.

We will regularly monitor our response times and other matters referred to on this page

Where practicable we will check to see whether compliance with the law improves as a result of our efforts

As with most organisations the resources which are available do not enable us to do all that we would like. We therefore have to prioritise our activities. Please indicate how important some of the major areas of activity are to you by completing the Customer Consultation Form.

Alternatively you can e-mail into the Leicestershire Trading Standards Service and inform us of your complaint, comment or commendation.

• Consumer – Contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06
• Business – Contact the Duty Officer on the Business Advice line on 0116 305 8000
  (Calls may be monitored for accuracy of information)