BOLTON and Bury Chamber have warned local businesses to beware of "unscrupulous" companies cashing in on data protection.

The Data Protection Act of 1998 requires every data controller who is processing personal data to notify unless they are exempt.

According to the Chamber, this legal duty has opened the doors to a number of unscrupulous businesses who are charging up to £95 plus VAT for notification.

The Chamber advises that if you are processing personal data and want to notify your business, you should contact the official Data Protection commission, who will charge you £35, on which no VAT is payable.

For further advice, log onto the Data Protection website at www.dpr.gov.uk, or phone the notification helpline on 01625 545740.

If you experience an approach by a dubious company purporting to offer data protection notification services, contact your local trading standards office.