FIRMS operating out of Blackpool are targeting UK businesses in a bid to lure them into paying over the odds to register under the Data Protection Act of 1988.

By law every business handling personal data must register their details with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) which is run by the government and based in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

And are officially the only organisation able to impose jurisdiction under the act.

But companies in Cambridgeshire and Anglia have received 'final notice' letters from a firm calling itself Data Protection Agency Services based at addresses in both Blackpool and Liverpool.

The ICO has complaints of 'notices' threatening to impose a £5,000 fine unless the company forwards a standard fee of £95 in order to avoid legal action for having committed a "criminal offence".

But the ICO has issued a warning against the firm and others operating like this and are urging people to avoid being duped into paying more than they should for this type of registration.

An ICO spokesman said: "There's no connection between Data Protection Agency Services and the Information Commissioner's Office.

"People can be registered by agencies if they wish and these agencies are at liberty to charge a fee, the onus is on those paying the bill to check what they are charging.

"We are saying that people should be aware that it only costs a set fee of £35 to register and it's easy to do. You should ask what you're getting for your money if you get charged any more than that.

"And we urge anyone with any queries to contact the ICO directly."

For further information contact the ICO on 01625 545745 or check the Commissioner's website on www.dpr.gov.uk.