Trading Standards

If you wish to report a trader or are seeking advice about your rights, the Citizens Advice Consumer Service is your first point of contact. They are a highly trained team and can offer you free, professional and impartial advice on your complaint or query. They also pass details of every contact to us.

Citizens Advice Consumer Service direct telephone number: is 0808 223 1133 (free phone)
(Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) or you can send your information direct to them using their online form

You can also get advice and guidance from their website 

All complaints made this way are reviewed by a senior member of the Trading Standards team. Where your complaint may contain a breach of the criminal law which we can help you with, you will be contacted directly by an officer.

We can help businesses based in the Dorset Council area by:

• providing information and guidance on legislation which affects your business
• advising you on how to comply with the law
• advising you on best practice
• helping to find realistic solutions to your business problems

Business advice line

01305 224702

For Dorset based businesses; Police and other agencies; other Trading Standards authorities and regulators.

Animal health advice line

01305 224475 

Lines operate from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4pm on Friday.

Animal welfare or petroleum out of hours line

07966 800326

For urgent out of hours animal welfare or petroleum matters only.