Trading standards privacy notice

Portsmouth City Council is a registered Data Controller (Z5578313)

Portsmouth City Council Trading Standards tries to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal information in accordance with data protection law.

This privacy notice tells you about how Portsmouth City Council Trading Standards collects and uses personal information. It applies to information we collect about:

This privacy notice applies to the functions of Portsmouth City Council Trading Standards service. All activities performed by the service are done so to fulfil its official functions and meet legal requirements under legislation.

We use your personal information to perform our statutory and discretionary services and comply with our statutory obligations which include, but are not limited to:

• providing advice and guidance to businesses
• investigating complaints and recording actions taken
• identifying emerging issues and threats to residents in Portsmouth
• working with other enforcement agencies
• working proactively to identify the issues causing the most harm and detriment in Portsmouth
• for purposes of public safety
• fulfilling our safeguarding responsibilities for Portsmouth residents
• providing services to Portsmouth businesses and residents to promote fair trading
• taking enforcement and legal action where necessary
• ensuring our staff are safe at work

Trading Standards collects personal data from a range of sources in the course of exercising our duties and functions. The personal data we collect and use will include personal data and special category personal data.

• Name, address, telephone number, email address and date of birth
• Sound and visual images, including footage recorded using body worn video
• Financial details
• Complaint and incident details
• Race or ethnic origin
• Physical or mental health

The work that our Trading Standards team carry out is in the public interest. Furthermore, the team process your data in the exercise of official authority to carry out investigations under criminal and civil legislation.

Where we have consent to use your personal data, you have the right to remove it at any time. If you want to remove your consent, please contact us at the following email address Data.DataProtection@portsmouthcc.gov.uk and we will deal with your request.

It may be necessary for us to share your personal data with the following organisations or partners:

• other local authority and regional trading standards or regulatory services
• other local authority adult social care services
• Police services
• central government departments or agencies with a regulatory or reporting function in an area of mutual interest
• the criminal justice system and agencies involved in it (for example Probation services, HM Courts Service, Witness Liaison and Victim Support services)
• partner agencies to reduce crime and disorder, anti-social behaviour and safeguarding of children and adults.

Any sharing of personal data is always done:

• on case-by-case basis
• using the minimum personal data necessary
• with the appropriate security controls in place
• in line with legislation

Information is only shared with those agencies and bodies who have a “need to know” or where you have consented to the sharing of your personal data to such persons.

We may use the information we hold about you to assist in the detection and prevention of crime or fraud. We may also share this information with other bodies that inspect and manage public funds.

Please view our privacy notice in respect of conditions for criminal offence data, enforcement investigations and prosecutions.

We will hold your personal information for no longer than necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected – this period of time can change dependent on the applicable legislation. All information will be kept in accordance with PCC data retention schedules.

All personal information is held securely and, once it is no longer needed, securely destroyed.

This privacy notice was last updated on 28/05/2025.

If you want to request details of our privacy policy and how Trading Standards collect and use personal information, you can contact:

Portsmouth City Council – Trading Standards Team, Regulatory Services Trading.Standards@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.