Online sellers of rodenticides are being reminded that the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime requires the same stringent point-of-sale controls as all other outlets.

Prospective buyers of professional use rodenticides must provide either an approved certificate of competence or documentation confirming membership of an approved farm assurance scheme.

A guidance note published by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) reaffirms that buyers self-declaring proof of competence or assurance scheme membership by ticking a box is not acceptable.

Rupert Broome, leader of CRRU's point-of-sale work group, has now drawn up a set of guidelines which aim to help promote responsible rodenticide use.

The guidelines include selling rodenticides online only in original packaging, including statutory labelling provided by the authorisation holder and only products authorised in the UK by HSE are legal to sell online.

Products for sale online must show pictures of legally authorised packs, and all advertising online is required to comply with Health and Safety Executive rules.

The stewardship guidelines also warn that failure to comply with the regime may be an offence and could lead to the company concerned being reported to HSE, Trading Standards and any other relevant body.

Rupert Broome said: "Like bricks and mortar sellers, those online have an absolute responsibility to confirm every purchaser's identity and validity of their proof of competence."

The CRRU online sales guidance note is available from thinkwildlife.org/about-crru/, where details of the stewardship regime can also be found.