NEW rules giving greater protection to shoppers who buy faulty goods have been welcomed by trading standards chiefs.

The Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002, based on a European Directive, comes into force today and builds on the strong safeguards already in place in the UK.

The new rights mean that during the first six months any fault that arises will be presumed to have existed at the time of delivery and it will be for the retailer to prove otherwise should they dispute a claim by a consumer.

Any guarantees offered by the manufacturer, or retailer, will be legally binding - not always the case at present - and must be written in plain language with clear details on how to make a claim.

Consumers will also have the right to request a repair or replacement if the goods are faulty. If this is not possible, the consumer can request a price reduction or full refund.

Although these are common remedies in the UK, until now they have not until now been enshrined in law.

Nigel Green, trading standards manager at Darlington Borough Council, said: "Hopefully, this will bring about an improvement in consumer rights.

"It will give the customer a greater choice of remedies when something goes wrong."

Government consumer minister Melanie Johnson said: "These new rules will strengthen our laws and offer further protection for shoppers if a product they buy is faulty."