BEWARE of the so-called European City Guide, warns Richard Corbett, Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber.

He urges businesses in Yorkshire to read the small print carefully before they respond to a direct mail from this organisation.

Businesses across Europe are being bombarded by a form which appears to be asking for information and prominently displays the phrase "cost free", but hidden in the small print is a notice that returning the form will lead to costs of almost 3,000 euros per year.

Mr Corbett said "Since the year 2000 I have received complaints every year about the activities of this organisation. It is targeting Yorkshire businesses again - and I, myself, received a mailing.

"My advice to anyone who receives a mailing from the European City Guide is to throw it away."

He said: "The European City Guide concentrates on small businesses and individuals and, once it has obtained a signature by deception, it pursues a strategy of intimidation and bullying to try and extract payment.

"The company has previously been pursued vigorously by Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading. It was eventually traced to the Catalan region of Spain. In 2003, a Spanish court fined the company heavily and shut it down for a year. It now seems to have switched bases and is operating from Valencia. But its unscrupulous methods are the same."

A website, www.stopecg.org, has been set up to give up-to-date information and support for victims of the scam. Mr Corbett is also supporting a petition to the European Parliament for legislation to deal with this issue.

Updated: 11:37 Thursday, June 16, 2005