Bedford Borough Council given £20k for new trading standards officer

The council’s trading standards department has been awarded £20,000 for a new apprentice.

The cash – from the East of England Trading Standards Association (EETSA) – will help with training needs and along with funding from Bedford Borough Council will support a Regulatory Compliance Officer (RCO) Apprentice.

It will pay for the role for 18 months and will enable an apprentice to complete the level 4 RCO apprenticeship.

Areas of work include investigating counterfeit goods, protecting consumers from unsafe products, taking action to ensure the welfare of animals and protecting residents from scams, rogue traders and doorstep crime.

Cllr Colleen Atkins, portfolio holder for community safety, regulatory services and housing, said: “I would like to congratulate council staff on the hard work that resulted in this grant being awarded, thank EETSA for their support in making this opportunity available, and look forward to meeting the new member of the team.”

The apprenticeship role will be advertised here in the new financial year