ASSISTANT Information Commissioner Phil Jones, has repeated the warning to businesses not to be misled by bogus agencies which continue to send notices demanding money to register under the Data Protection Act 1998.

In the past year, the Information Commissioner's Office has dealt with 33,000 enquiries from concerned businesses across the country who have received bogus demands.

Hundreds of businesses a month are still at risk of falling victim to fake data protection agencies posing as official government bodies. The letters, which request sums of between £75 and £135 to register under the DPA, often use threatening language and are on official-looking headed paper.

The statutory fee for notification is just £35 a year and businesses that need to register should go directly to the ICO at ww.informationcommissioner.gov.uk or call the ICO notification line on 01625 545 740.