A warning goes out to all traders who falsely advertise
membership of trade associations, following a successful
prosecution brought by our Trading Standards
team.
Keith Leslie Baker, director of Atmosclear Ltd, previously known
as K L Baker Services Ltd, appeared at North Somerset Magistrates
Court on 31 August 2007. Mr Baker of Highridge Road,
Dundry, pleaded guilty to offences committed by the company
and offences committed by him personally, under the Trade
Descriptions Act 1968. Mr Baker and his company were ordered
to pay fines and legal costs amounting to £3649.16.
Trading Standards officers received a complaint alleging that Mr
Baker's company had advertised membership of CORGI, (Council of
Registered Gas Installers), when in fact his membership had ceased
several months earlier.
The court heard that Mr Baker's CORGI membership ceased in
November 2005. In March 2006, some four months later, he had
placed two adverts in the 2006/7 Bristol edition of the Yellow
Pages, continuing to advertise his CORGI membership.
Atmosclear Ltd were charged with two offences under S14 of the
Trade Descriptions Act 1968, for recklessly making statements that
were false as to membership of CORGI.
Mr Baker appeared in court to answer two offences under S20 of
the same act, for negligently allowing the advertisement of CORGI
membership to be published.
He was fined £1000 for these offences and his company Atmosclear
Ltd was also fined £1000. Both Mr Baker and Atmosclear Ltd
was ordered to pay £824.58 each in legal costs.
Cllr Carl Francis-Pester, executive member for environment,
said: “This prosecution serves as a warning that we will take
appropriate action against companies and individuals who purport to
be something they are not. Our advice to consumers is that they
continue to check that traders are in fact legitimate members of
the trade association to which they claim to belong.”
