Citizens Advice will be the first line of protection for consumers under plans confirmed by the government. The charity will take initial calls and emails from frustrated consumers, while a new board will oversee national action by trading standards officers. So an individual sold a shoddy secondhand car would receive initial advice from Citizens Advice staff. If it emerged that a prolific rogue trader was responsible, then trading standards officers would investigate. "All of the reforms will ensure that we have the right system of help, advice and protection for consumers," said Norman Lamb, the consumer affairs minister. But one consumer group said the plans were "ill-conceived" and would stretch underfunded local trading standards departments.

'Fragmented'

Consumers lose a total of £6.6bn each year owing to rogue trading. At least £4.8bn of this is the result of mass market scams such as bogus lotteries, as well as counterfeiting and unscrupulous traders. A recent report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee suggested that consumer protection had failed to keep pace with the....Read more here--:Citizens Advice put in consumer protection frontline