If you challenge the regulator via the civil courts for example by challenging the service of a Remedial Action Notice or Hygiene Improvement Notice to the Magistrates’ court, then if you are successful costs will follow the result. If you fail to appeal such notice and are later prosecuted, then even if you successfully defend that prosecution and are acquitted (i.e. the Court finds that the Notice was not validly served and/or that you were not in breach of the Notice) you will be unable to recover your costs if you are a corporate defendant. If you are an individual or partnership you will be able to recover your costs at legal aid rates meaning that you will only recover a small proportion of your actual costs. The moral of the story is wherever possible challenge the regulator in the civil court. If you do this and if you are successful you will recover your costs from the regulator.