Trading standards officers have warned small businesses and groups in Keighley to ignore demands to register information under the data protection act.

They have been inundated with complaints about a scam where local companies and organisations have been told they must pay £95 or more to register details to comply with the Data Protection Act of 1998.

A demand of this kind was sent to Airedale Primary Care Trust's Public Health Team, from a Liverpool-based company called Data Protection Agency Services.

The health team was sent a letter with "Final Notice" in bold letters and was told that failure to register could lead to a fine of up to £5,000.

Team administrator Peter Sowray says: "When I looked at it I thought that it wasn't correct because of the threatening tone and the fact that it didn't have a Crown signatory.

"I took it across to our trust headquarters and found out that we have received a warning about this from the Department of Health.

"We then contacted trading standards, who told us they were investigating this particular company."

During 2002 West Yorkshire Trading Standards received more than 430 complaints from people who had received similar letters from a number of companies from throughout the North West.

It says that registering details with the official body for data protection, the Information Commissioner, should cost only £35.

Trading standards officer Graham Hebblethwaite says: "Originally anyone who held computerised personal data had to be registered under the data protection act. This was updated three years' ago to anyone who held data on computer or on files.

"This was picked up by one or two people who adapted the guidance note, but what they missed out was that they were acting as a totally unnecessary middle man.

"It is a very profitable scam and if people are sent a letter asking for more than £35 or demanding money they should throw it away.

"Action has been taken against at least six of these businesses which have been served with stop now orders, but as fast as we close them down they start up somewhere else." Anyone who would like more information or would like to report a similar case can contact West Yorkshire Trading Standards on 0113 2536111.