A rogue trader who lied about being part of an elite guild has been fined for misleading his customers.

Tony Copeland of the Floor Store (Surrey) Limited in Oldfields Road, West Sutton, has been fined more than £6,000 after he claimed to be a member of the Guild of master Craftsmen despite his membership running out in 2011.

Copeland's adverts in both print and on the internet claimed he was still a member of the organisation which aims to help consumers identify reliable traders.

The issue was picked up in April when Sutton Council trading standards officers noticed he was using the guild's logos in his advertising. An officer checked to see if he was still a member and confirmed his membership had lapsed in October 2011 after he had been a part of it for just over a year.

He was interviewed in June and appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court Tuesday, December 11, to admit six counts of unfair trading. In total, Copeland will pay £6,240 in fines and court costs.

Councillor Richard Clifton, lead member for trading standards, said: "This is a great result for the borough, and shows our continued dedication to protecting consumers’ rights.

"It’s important that when a company advertises itself to the public it does so in a truthful way and does not look to misrepresent itself for its own gain. Our consumer protection teams work tirelessly to make sure that cases like this are addressed as quickly as possible so consumers in Sutton can continue to shop in the borough safely."