East Sussex County Council's Trading Standards Service has been running its approved trader 'Buy With Confidence' scheme since May 2004 and the initiative has almost 280 East Sussex businesses signed up.

The scheme supports honest traders and helps to protect people from being ripped off by rogue traders.

ESCC plans to increase awareness about the scheme with an advertising campaign that will include bus and local radio advertising across the County. The Council hopes that the campaign will lead to more businesses signing up to the scheme and more people choosing to buy goods or services from the official list of approved traders.

Councillor Bob Lacey, Chairman of the County Council will launch the advertising campaign on Thursday March 27 at 11.30am at the bus stop on Birch Road, Eastbourne.

A new Buy With Confidence directory, listing approved traders across the County, is now available free of charge from Trading Standards by telephoning (01323) 418201 (option two). The directory can also be picked up in County Council libraries.

Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for Community Services at the County Council said: "The Buy With Confidence scheme is a real win-win.

"It supports honest and reliable businesses and helps to promote their goods and services to the public and it also helps to protect residents from being ripped off by cowboy traders. The scheme has proved a great success and I am sure that the new advertising and awareness campaign will help to take it a stage further."