In a case brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Mr Harper, a packer and retailer of solid fuel, pleaded guilty to five charges brought under the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.
Trading Standards Officers investigated a complaint received from a member of the public, that Mr Harper had sold short weight 50kg bags of coal. The officers weighed the bags that had given rise to the complaint and discovered that all were lighter than 50kg, the lightest being 44.1kg.
On follow up visits to Mr Harper’s premises, Trading Standards Officers discovered more short weight bags of coal, in addition to equipment used for packing coal that was unsuitable for the purpose.
Richard Knipe of the Trading Standards Service said: “Consumers are entitled to get what they pay for. It is unacceptable for any trader to give short weight or measure to consumers. It is imperative for traders using weighing or measuring equipment to ensure that their equipment is accurate.”
Anyone who believes they have been sold short measure goods should contact Consumerline on 0845 600 62 62 or log on to the Consumerline website 
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Notes to Editors:
1. The Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 creates offences for traders who sell, or possess for sale, short measure goods such as coal.
2. The Order also requires that prescribed weighing or measuring equipment should be tested and stamped by a Trading Standards Inspector prior to use for trade. The equipment used by Mr Harper had not been tested or stamped.
3. Coal weighed at Mr Harper’s premises was found to be up to 17% deficient in quantity.
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