Electrical retail giant Dixon's was fined 9,000 after plastering its Oxford store with false adverts, writes Nick Evans.

The Clarendon Centre shop ran a 'Price Check' promotion claiming it would match any other local store for the price of electrical goods.

The promotion read: "Price We can't be beaten. We guarantee to match any local price."

But the company was taken to court when trading standards officers investigated the claims and found the advertisements were misleading. Oxford magistrates fined the firm 3,000 each for three offences of displaying misleading adverts and ordered it to pay 7,200 costs.

The investigation began after Nigel Lipton, of Willesden, London, visited Oxford in April and saw a Aiwa minidisc stereo in Allders' department store in the Westgate Centre, priced 189.99.

The same day he saw an identical stereo in Dixon's priced at 299.99.

He was initially told by an assistant that Dixon's could beat the price but was then told by two others that they had received a directive forbidding them from matching it.

A week later, when senior trading standards officers visited Dixon's they too were told the store could not match the Allders price. Although Dixon's was acquitted of the case involving Mr Lipton, it was found guilty of three other misleading claims spotted by trading standards officers. All three had said the store "could not be beaten on price".

The shop had displayed a total of 38 notices advertising the deal and just seven which outlined conditions attached to it. Two of these were hidden behind the till area.

The Aiwa stereo priced at 110 cheaper than at Dixon's was part of the stock range at Allders throughout the trading standards investigation.

A Dixon's spokesman, based in Hemel Hempstead, said: "Our terms and conditions are explained in detail throughout our stores. Overall, I believe that any reasonable person contemplating a purchase from the Oxford store would have expected, and in any event become aware of, the reasonable terms and conditions incorporated into the Price Check material."