A solicitor and two inspectors employed by my Department attended the hearing, and the preliminary inquiry involved two short visits to the premises concerned, and an interview with a director. The legal costs of the prosecution will amount to about £15, but I regret that it is impracticable to estimate the cost of the very small proportion of the time of those officers who were concerned in the routine inquiries.

The charge against the defendants was one of unlawful use of fuel—namely, electricity—for the purpose of advertisement in the course of their business, contrary to Article 5 of the Control of Fuel (No. 3) Order, 1942. Proceedings were taken as a result of the refusal of the defendants to comply with a request to discontinue the use of the sign. The offence was proved, but the case was dismissed under the Probation of Offenders Act