The chairwoman of the National Consumer Agency, Ann Fitzgerald, has warned that a more robust approach will be taken to the enforcement of consumer legislation.

Traders will have to be responsible for their compliance or face prosecution. She was speaking after Dunnes Stores was fined for failing to display prices on some grocery items in its shop at the Pavilions in Swords, Co Dublin.

A claim too far

An ad for a Clinique anti-wrinkle cream made misleading claims about its effect on the skin, Britain's industry watchdog has said. The cosmetics giant's ad for Repairwear said the cream enabled the skin to steer "hearty cells" to the base of wrinkles. It then triggered the skin's own natural collagen production, the magazine advert said. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said Clinique could not stand over claims about the cream's physiological effect on users' skin.

Holiday on the net

The Internet has become the most important tool for people planning holidays to Ireland and 55 per cent of visitors this year used it. A separate study published last week had more bad news for traditional retailers. Market research firm ACNielsen reported that high-street travel agencies, mobile phone shops and banks may vanish as people buy more products online and resort to shops only for clothes and accessories.

Veggie might

In a move which would almost make you want to go on a veal-only diet, an animal rights group has launched an advertising campaign which says that feeding children meat is equivalent to child abuse. Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) placed the ad in Easington, County Durham, following research which named it England's fattest town. The poster which shows a boy on the verge of biting into a hamburger says: "Feeding kids meat is child abuse. Fight the fat. Go veg."