A DRY cleaning boss claims a misleading letter has left him facing a bill of 997 euros for adverts in a European guide.

Raymond Mercer, manager of County Cleaners in Napper’s Mite, is refusing to pay the demand – about £859 – for a listing in the European City Guide.

He claims that the letter he received was misleading and failed to make clear the business was being charged for listings in the online and CD ROM based guide.

Now he has complained to trading standards and his MEP but also warned other firms to beware of such operations.

Mr Mercer said: “We are dry cleaners in Dorchester. Why would we want to be in a European guide?

“Do they think people are going to post dry cleaning to us. It is just ridiculous.”

Mr Mercer said that the letter arrived asking them to correct any changes on a listing for the former occupant of the premises, a clothes shop.

He said he looked at it and then asked a member of staff to fill it in and sent it back just to make the corrections.

Mr Mercer said: “We assumed they were just looking for an update and corrections.

“I am near enough 100 per cent sure that there was no mention of the 997 euros. We would have noticed if there was. It was totally misleading.”

The business has received a demand for money with a letterhead for a Tenerife-based company but a Zurich postmark. It wants 997 euros a year for three years.

Mr Mercer has e-mailed and spoken to European City Guide employees by telephone to try and cancel the bill but also to dispute the legality of the demand and to refuse to pay.

Mr Mercer said: “I am angry about it.

“I would warn others who get such letters to bin them straight away.”

Dorset County Council Trading Standards advised caution in such situations.

A spokesman said: “We are regularly informed of these type of business directory scams and co-ordinate action with other trading standards services to prevent businesses from being misled.

“However where companies are based outside the UK this is not always possible.

“We would advise businesses to take caution when proceeding and to always check the small print, particularly if it is advertised as a free directory.

“We always encourage people to read any information thoroughly, and not to hand over any money until they are convinced the directory exists.

“It is perfectly acceptable to request a copy to view to ensure authenticity and that it will genuinely support business.”

No one was available from European City Guides to comment.