DEALERS in second-hand goods across North Yorkshire have passed an undercover inspection mounted by trading standards officers to see if they were prepared to buy suspicious property.

All nine second-hand shops put to the test passed with flying colours - refusing to accept items without the seller's name and address.

Trading standards officers worked with North Yorkshire police to mount the operation in areas including Scarborough, Hambleton and Harrogate during the past four weeks.

Officers took relatively highly priced electrical items, such as televisions and video recorders, to the stores to see if the dealers would buy the items for any price, "no questions asked".

On each occasion, the items offered were refused when the officer posing as the seller refused to give their name and address.

Richard Flinton, assistant head of trading standards, said: "This is the first time we have done an exercise of this kind and we are encouraged by the level of honesty among the dealers in the county.

"Interestingly, however, none of them notified the police that people were attempting to sell items in this manner.

"I would urge second-hand dealers to remain vigilant and to pass on any suspicions to the police."

A police spokesman backed Mr Flinton's advice and said: "It only takes a phone call to notify us of any suspicious characters attempting to sell dodgy goods in the area."

Following the introduction of legislation in 1991, it became an offence for second-hand dealers to buy goods without first obtaining and recording the name and address of the seller.

The outcome of the exercise has encouraged officers to believe that the legislation - introduced to help combat the distribution of stolen property - is working.

Councillor John Dennis, the county council's executive member with responsibility for trading standards, said: "It is very pleasing to see that the second-hand trade is acting responsibly. Thieves rely on outlets to turn goods into cash.

"While these results are very good there is no room for complacency and the trading standards service will be repeating this exercise."