Bike retailer Halfords has been fined £30,000 after an investigation found it had sent around 50,000 unwanted marketing emails.

The company received complaints over emails about a government voucher scheme which gave people £50 off the cost of repairing a bike at certain stores in England.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found in its investigation that Halfords jumped on the scheme to promote free bike assessments in its stores therefore clearly advertising its own service.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of unsolicited marketing emails were a breach of electronic marketing rules, the ICO said.

“It is against the law to send marketing emails or texts to people without their permission,” ICO head of investigations Andy Curry said.

“Not only this, it is a violation of their privacy rights as well as being frustrating and downright annoying.

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“Halfords are a household name and we expect companies like them to know and act better.”

Curry added: “This incident does not reflect well on the internal advice or processes and therefore a fine was warranted in this case.

“This also sends a message to similar organisations to review their electronic marketing operations, and that we will take necessary action if they break the law.”

Currently marketing rules prevent companies from sending emails to people unless they have consented to it.

This also requires retailers must give people a simple way to opt out of marketing emails.

Customers who received messages from Halfords had opted into marketing from the firm therefore it could not rely on the available exemptions, the ICO said.