Butcher cleared of misleading public

Thomas Howard, of Tom Howard Family Butchers, of Tuffley, Gloucester, was before Cheltenham magistrates charged with breaches of the Trade Descriptions Act, by falsely claiming that he was a member of the National Federation of Meat and Food Traders (NFMFT).

The court was told that Trading Standards Officers had brought the prosecution because there were NFMFT logos in the window of the shop when Thomas was not actually a member.

However, Thomas successfully claimed in his defence that the logos were a left-over from a previous owner.

He said that when advised to remove them by TSOs he had done so, with the exception of two stickers which he had not been able to reach, as he had been recovering from surgery at the time.

The court acquitted Thomas, saying there was no evidence that the signs had misled the public over the service provided. After the case, Thomas commented: "I'm pleased with the outcome and felt that the small butcher today needs to be supported by local people.

"I have always felt that I wasn't guilty of any offence or misleading the public. The quality of our products are what people come to us for."

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