Price checks carried out at 61 shops

Trading standards officers have inspected dozens of shops to check compliance with national price marking rules.

Officers from Gloucestershire Trading Standards visited 61 stores across towns including Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Dursley, Stonehouse, Cirencester and the Forest of Dean as part of a project focusing on smaller convenience shops.

During the inspections, 40 stores were found to be fully compliant with prices clearly displayed and customers charged correctly at the till, while 20 stores did not meet the legal requirements and one shop was found to be overcharging.

All 21 businesses that failed to meet the standards have since been revisited and given advice to help them bring their price displays in line with the law.

Under the Price Marking Order 2004, goods offered for sale must have a price clearly displayed in pounds including VAT and any other taxes.

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson said it is important that shops clearly display prices so customers can make informed decisions, adding that failure to follow the law can lead to prosecution and substantial fines.

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk