CITY of York Trading Standards regularly receives complaints from annoyed residents who have received unsolicited and unwanted emails, known as spam.

Experts reckon about 90 per cent of spam in Europe and the US comes from just 180 individuals. Once you have started to get spam it is almost impossible to stop it completely, other than by changing your email address.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) offers tips to help you fight the influx of spam.

When you receive spam emails remember:

Much spam is a scam

If an offer looks too good to be true it probably is false

If an email looks doubtful, delete it without opening it

Three tips to avoid spam:

Use a spam filter - often available with your email package

Don't check on the adverts in spam emails - if you do you may download a virus

Protect your email address - never share it with people you don't know on the internet.

Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) businesses can only send you direct marketing messages if you have given explicit prior consent or where you have an existing customer relationship. If you already have a relationship with a business you can opt-out and request that the business does not send you any more marketing emails. Senders of marketing emails to individuals cannot conceal or disguise their identity.

To complain, the Office of the Information Commissioner is responsible for enforcing of the PECRs. If you continue to get spam after you have opted out or receive unsolicited spam you can download a complaint form from the Information Commissioner's website. Do not forward unwanted emails.

If you receive spam in the UK the content of which you find to be deceptive or misleading - whether or not it is unsolicited - you can complain to the OFT or your local trading standards department via Consumer Direct. Phone 08454 040 506.

Updated: 10:47 Thursday, January 20, 2005