How much can shops charge for paracetamol and toilet roll? West Sussex Trading Standards gives advice to customers

Concerns had been raised about shops selling masks falsely labelled as medical masks, and charging extra for in-demand products.

In response, a West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “Traders can charge whatever price they wish for goods like paracetamol and toilet rolls provided consumers are made clear of this before purchasing. The Competition and Markets Authority are looking into pricing matters as there is no law in place to cover this currently. Most goods should be sold with name and address details for traceability.

“We will be engaging with the businesses regarding the sale of falsely described masks as this is also a safety issue.

“Anyone who thinks they have purchased an unsafe product or would like to report a business, should contact Trading Standards online or via Citizens Advice on 03444 111 444.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

But I also have an urgent plea to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy.

Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves.