BOLTON and Bury Chamber is helping to tackle the rising tide of red tape which is opening up many new legal pitfalls for employers.

The business support agency is offering its members access to a 24-hour legal advice telephone service.

This is run on behalf of the British Chambers of Commerce by Legal Personnel and Management Services.

The Chamber stresses that regulations and legislation affecting the operation of today's businesses are increasingly complex and can pose a major risk to a company's reputation and financial health.

Failure to deal effectively with issues such as unfair dismissal, product liability, health and safety, bad debts, parental leave and other matters could result in fines, tribunals, legal action or prosecution.

Now, the Chamber's telephone advisory service will provide expertise on employment law, health and safety, construction safety, environmental health and commercial law.

More than 30 local Chamber members and 1,000 national members use the advice line service each month.

To find out more about the benefits of Chamber membership, or how to gain access to the free service, contact the membership team at Bolton and Bury Chamber on 0845 6016010.