MARIAIT / SHUTTERSTOCK News Horse-dealer jailed for conning clients IOAN PANAITE / SHUTTERSTOCK A horse-dealer who conned clients out of thousands of pounds through false descriptions of the health and condition of the animals she sold has been jailed. Karen Ruston, of Dartford, Kent, was sentenced to six months in prison at Maidstone Crown Court on 15 March and ordered to forfeit her 6,000 savings as compensation. She had previously pleaded guilty to 11 offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and two offences under the Horse Passport Regulations 2009, in a case brought by Kent Trading Standards. Between November 2013 and October 2014, Ruston listed horses for sale in a national publication, referring to the animals as of wonderful character, with absolutely no health issues and as family friend for five years. She used alias names and contact details, while falsely claiming to be a private seller. More than one victim reported that the purchased horse required regular treatments from veterinarians after health issues quickly emerged, costing significant amounts of money. One victim was interested in a safe horse for her disabled daughter, and purchased a horse for 4,950. However, she discovered that the horse had been sold just days previously for 650 with the information that it had the onset of navicular syndrome, which can lead to lameness in the front legs. Clive Phillips, operations manager at Kent Trading Standards, thanked the victims for providing the valuable evidence. He said: Ruston has misled people into buying horses that, if they had possession of all the facts, they would not have purchased saving themselves thousands of pounds. Not only should consumers know who they are dealing with, but they should rightly be able to rely upon claims made to them. Ruston had previously been convicted of similar offences at Salisbury Crown Court in 2004 and sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work. Inaccurate labels found on salty Staffordshire ready meals High levels of salt were found in twothirds of ready meals tested in Staffordshire, despite messages to the contrary on some labels. A countywide survey conducted in January found that, of 30 locally bought ready meals, 19 contained high salt levels (more than 1.5g per 100g), nine contained medium levels (between 0.3g and 1.5g) and only two contained low levels (less than 0.3g). The survey also found that five of the meals did not display accurate labels, with two containing almost double the amount of salt described. The salt testing was carried out by Staffordshire Scientific Services and the survey results published during National Salt Awareness Week. New salt reduction targets, published by the Food Standards Agency, are due to be implemented in the UK in 2017. Gill Heath, Staffordshire Trading Standards leader, said: Its no surprise that ready meals typically contain higher levels of salt, but food manufacturers must label their food accurately. Our trading standards team will now be providing detailed guidance and support to retailers to ensure the labels are amended and accurate. Good news for football fans as IFO becomes approved ADR Motor trader ordered to pay 2,000 compensation A motor trader who failed to tell a buyer that a car was an insurance total loss has been given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay 2,000 in compensation to the consumer by Londonderry Magistrates Court. The Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment investigated the business of Ciaran Marcus Coyle, 26, of Londonderry, after a complaint from a consumer. The investigation confirmed that Coyle had sold a BMW 525D and failed to tell the buyer that it was a Category D insurance total loss. It was also found that Coyle had been advertising cars as a private individual when he was in fact a motor trader. Football fans can now avoid court to resolve their complaints after the Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO) became the latest CTSIapproved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body. From October 2015, new legislation requires UK traders including football clubs to inform their consumers about and provide information for relevant ADR services available in their sector. ADR aims to help consumers resolve complaints if previous customer service procedures have failed. This means that football fans now have an easy, cost-effective way of resolving irritating and valid issues, such as seat disputes and ticket prices, which often go unresolved by individual football clubs. Previously, the only further action that consumers could take to resolve their complaints was to use the courts system. This complex and lengthy process can now be avoided. In reality, points out Andy Allen, leader of the ADR-awarding body: Most people dont go to court, so [the opportunity to seek help from an ADR] is an alternative to doing nothing. Since being officially approved as an ADR, the IFO has been audited to prove that the organisation is independent, transparent and effective. There are currently 25 approved ADR schemes, covering sectors from retail and parking to higher education, furniture and the motor industry. More information is available from the European Commissions website. The IFO was established by football authorities The Football Association, The Premier League and The Football League to receive and adjudicate on unresolved complaints, and is an integral part of footballs self-regulatory system.