TRAVEL agents are being warned they face prosecution if they mislead customers with window display advertisements.

In a crackdown by trading standards officers in towns across the North West, 70 per cent of travel agent window cards were found to contain incorrect information.

Thirty-six per cent of the wrongly advertised holidays were not available at all, 40 per cent had gone up in price, while 24 per cent hadgone down.

A check on Internet travel firms had similar findings with 72 per cent of advertised holidays wrongly described, with more than a quarter of them no longer available, and more than half costing more than the web site claimed.

No prosecutions were made this time but officers have warned all the travel agents' head offices the survey will be repeated and offenders will be prosecuted next time.

Meanwhile, detailed guidance notes have been produced for travel agents who advertise holidays in the window.

Coun Maureen Bateson, executive member for citizens' and consumer rights at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said the findings were shocking and called on travel agents to tighten procedures.

She said: "With the price of holidays capable of changing so quickly, it is not sufficient for travel agent only to be checking their window adverts every two to three days. Travel agents must check them every day if they want to avoid breaking the law.

"Most of these misleading adverts can be prevented by simply including all the compulsory charges."

The checks were carried out at 47 travel agents in Blackburn-with-Darwen, Greater Manchester and Blackpool.

Many adverts failed to include compulsory hidden extras in the price, such as security fees, tickets on departure fees or under occupancy supplements.

"Optional extras" such as transfer fees were often not shown, while web sites tended to hide hidden extras in among lengthy terms and conditions.

A spokesman for ABTA said it recommended its agents to check window cards at least daily but it was very difficult to keep on top of all changes because it was a very fluid market. Agents persistently breaching the code of conduct should be fined.