A DORSET company has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £27,000 court costs for making false claims over how much customers could save by switching to its solar-powered heating system.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard how Simplee Solar, based at Woolsbridge Industrial Estate, Three Legged Cross, had sent flyers telling householders they could save up to 70 per cent on their energy bills and that solar could power their central heating.

Among those who gave evidence at the trial was pensioner Wendy Hammett, who paid £8,500 to have the system installed at her West Parley bungalow in August 2004.

Prosecuting on behalf of Dorset Trading Standards, Tim Bradbury said: "The extent to which the system could accrue benefit was wildly exaggerated."

He explained that the expert view was that solar panels could only be expected to provide two to three per cent of the energy needed for a domestic central heating system.

Simplee Solar denied two counts of supplying and five counts of offering to supply goods to which false trade descriptions had been applied.

But a jury yesterday convicted them of all charges.

Recorder Michael Parroy QC said: "It seems to me that a company with a turnover of this size has to face a significant penalty to prevent them from acting this way again and to act as a deterrent."

After the case, Dorset County Council's divisional trading standards manager, Ivan Hancock, said: "Hopefully this case will be a lesson to this company and others.

"It is very important that when the public are given claims about goods like this that cost a lot of money they can rely on them.

"The law entitles them to rely on claims made by businesses. Even if it is difficult to prove, we will take action."

In a statement, Simplee Solar said: "We are obviously disappointed with the result of the trial.

"However, the advertising claims on which the jury decided were based on figures which the company gave in good faith and which are now no longer used in any promotional material."