Local businesses in Northern Ireland have been warned of fraudsters impersonating Health & Safety Executive officials, who attempt to extort money in return for phony policies and posters.

The Trading Standards Service said they have received reports of unauthorised 'cold calls' to unsuspecting businesses, particularly small businesses.

During the call, the company offers to provide services to enable the business to comply with health and safety legal requirements.

This includes selling health and safety policies, or offering to write health and safety risk assessments on behalf of the business.

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Businesses are subjected to a number of misleading claims during the unsolicited telephone call, which leads to the unwitting ordering of a health and safety policy document at a cost of £199 plus VAT, or a health and safety law poster at a cost of £19.99.

A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland said: "It is a legal requirement for every employer to have arrangements in place to manage health and safety. These arrangements must be recorded, usually in the company's health and safety policy, when the employer employs five or more employees."

Damien Doherty of the Trading Standards Service said: "These scammers go to considerable lengths to appear legitimate, but they are all simply after one thing - to part local businesses from their hard-earned money."

On 26 May 2008, it became a criminal offence to deceive traders through misleading advertisements.

The introduction of the BPMMRs allows the Trading Standards Service to take robust enforcement action against unscrupulous businesses that attempt to defraud ordinary traders.

(PR/JM)