Trading standards | LocalGov

Vape industry proposes alcohol-style licensing scheme

21/02/2024

A first-of-its kind licensing framework for the UK vape industry is being put forward in Parliament today.

The Trading Standards Crisis

15/02/2024

John Herriman, chief executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, discusses the impact of the local government funding crisis on Trading Standards.

Only one in 20 illegal vape sellers fined

13/02/2024

Illegal vapes were seized from nearly 3,000 unscrupulous sellers last year, but only one in 20 were issued fines, new FOI requests have revealed.

Council seizes £55k of illegal supersize vapes

01/02/2024

Supersize vapes with tanks many times the size of the UK legal limit were among a recent £55,000 haul made by Westminster City Council from one West End shop.

Disposable vapes to be banned

29/01/2024

Disposable vapes will be banned in the UK to protect children’s health, the Government announced today.

Vape sniffer dog uncovers £18.5k of contraband

27/11/2023

A sniffer dog has helped Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards team uncover thousands of pounds worth of counterfeit e-cigarettes and tobacco.

‘Candy store’ numbers drop as council crackdown continues

04/10/2023

Westminster City Council has seen some success in its clampdown on Oxford Street's US-style ‘candy stores’, with the number dropping to 21 from 29.

Council seizes £32,000 of illegal tobacco

07/08/2023

North Somerset Council has seized £32,000 worth of illegal tobacco from premises in Weston-super-Mare.

Enfield trading standards cuts risk public safety

08/06/2023

Enfield Council is at risk of becoming the first local authority without a Trading Standards team after a decision to let go of three quarters of the team.

Council helps Premier League stop £7m streaming fraud

31/05/2023

Five men who illegally streamed Premier League matches have been jailed following a trading-standards investigation led by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

Crackdown on sale of vapes to children launched

30/05/2023

A review of the rules governing the sale of vapes to under 18s could make it easier for local Trading Standards to issue fines and fixed penalty notices.

Westminster council takes on tax avoiding candy stores

25/05/2023

Westminster City Council has declared war on US-style candy and souvenir stores that are failing to pay business rates or selling illegal or unsafe goods.

Rochdale council disrupts £65m counterfeit goods network

23/02/2023

The trading standards team at Rochdale Borough Council has disrupted a criminal counterfeit goods operation worth up to £65m a year.

Barnet Council ‘insources’ services after decade-long campaign

01/02/2023

More than 300 staff in Barnet are to be transferred back to council employment after a decade-long union campaign.

Retailers could be fined up to £1m for selling knives to children

01/06/2022

Large retailers selling to knives to children could be fined up to £1m under new proposals, after a London council warned the current sentences did not reflect the seriousness of the offence.

Support for air quality enforcement

05/11/2021

Bruce Allen says councils need more knowledge and support to enforce the ban on selling and using wet wood and house coal for burning at home.

Council given power to remove dangerous goods from eBay

11/05/2021

Local authorities will be able to report and remove illegal or unsafe items from eBay under a new pilot scheme.

Local authorities struggling to enforce rules on chemical safety

24/08/2020

Councils unable to enforce rules on chemical safety as new research shows one in four products tested contain dangerous levels of hazardous chemicals.

Councils warn about surge in virus-related scams

11/05/2020

Council leaders have reported a 40% increase in reported scams since the start of the coronavirus crisis.

Councils to enforce business closures during Covid-19

23/03/2020

Local authorities will be responsible for ensuring businesses and other venues are closed to safeguard public health.

Trading standards officers seize bottles of ‘harmful’ hand sanitizer

23/03/2020

Trading standards enforcement officers in Birmingham have seized bottles of potentially harmful hand sanitizer from a trader looking to capitalize on the coronavirus outbreak.

Council chiefs warn of ‘fake toys’ danger

09/12/2019

Local authority leaders have warned people to be careful of counterfeit toys and suspect online sellers in the run up to Christmas following recent seizures of harmful products.

Trading standards services surviving despite being ‘hit hard by austerity’

08/11/2019

Over 20 million illegal products have been detained by local trading standards services in the last year despite Government cuts, a new report has revealed.

Council secures ‘unusual’ legal order against home improvement firms

07/11/2019

Gateshead Council has used a little-used piece of legislation to take enforcement action against two home improvement agencies.

Councils issue warning over toxic skin-lightening creams

30/09/2019

Local government leaders have warned of the dangers of skin-lightening creams that 'act like paint stripper' and increase the risk of cancer.

County council’s trading standards team seizes £23m of unsafe items

21/08/2019

A trading standards team in Suffolk has seized nearly one million unsafe consumer items at the Port of Felixstowe.

Dangerous tyres putting lives at risk, warn councils

20/05/2019

Part-worn tyres are being sold with serious safety defects, unsafe repairs and incorrect labelling, council leaders have warned.

Investigators warn councils of ‘chameleon fraudsters’

16/05/2019

Investigators have warned councils to be wary of fraudsters as report reveals one in eight disqualified company directors avoid detection and still have active directorships.

Councils call for extra funding to tackle illegal knife sales

15/05/2019

The prosecution fund to help councils tackle illegal knife sales needs urgent investment, town hall chiefs have warned.

Councils call for extra funding to stop UK being flooded with unsafe products

15/04/2019

Council leaders have warned new national bodies are not the best way to protect the UK from unsafe products.

Sector fumes over lack of pre-Brexit briefing

21/02/2019

Councils have threatened to walk away from Government attempts to engage with them on Brexit amid growing frustrations about the response to their concerns.

Consumer enforcement system on ‘verge of collapse’, report warns

04/02/2019

The consumer enforcement system is too reliant on overstretched local authorities and is on ‘the verge of collapse’, watchdog says.

Popular council services could be swallowed by £8bn funding black hole

01/02/2019

Many popular council services could disappear by 2025 due to a £8bn funding black hole, council leaders have warned today.

Councils struggle to stop rogue retailers selling knives to children

15/10/2018

Local authority leaders have called for more powers to crack down on retailers illegally selling knives to children.

Councils defend use of fake facebook profiles

04/09/2018

Councils in North Wales have defended their right to use fake Facebook profiles to gather information on illegal activities.

Fake cosmetics ‘dangerous’, warn council chiefs

28/08/2018

Thousands of pounds worth of dangerous fake cosmetics have been uncovered across the country by trading standards officers, local government leaders warn.

Cuts to trading standards putting older people at risk of fraud, warns charity

09/03/2018

Cuts to trading standards services are leaving millions of older people at risk of fraud, according to Age UK.

County at ‘crisis point’ announces revised budget

28/02/2018

Northamptonshire County Council has announced revised budget savings after being warned by auditors to revise its spending plans.

Faulty white goods causing 60 house fires a week

15/02/2018

Faulty white goods are causing more than 60 house fires a week, a new investigation by Which? has revealed.

Councils could be allowed to replace ‘poorly performing’ funfairs, Gov says

23/08/2017

The main trade body for funfairs has agreed to change its rules in response to the Government’s claim that they ‘break competition law’.

Council prosecutes letting agent for issuing ‘sham licences’

22/08/2017

Islington Council has successfully prosecuted a letting agent for issuing ‘sham licences’ in the first prosecution of its kind.

Councils call for action to halt illegal knife sales

31/07/2017

Town hall bosses have called for tougher fines and sentences to stop shops illegally selling knives to children.

Product safety system is ‘putting lives at risk’ warns watchdog

19/07/2017

The UK’s product safety and recall system is not fit for purpose and lacks national oversight, a new report has warned today.

Enforcement regime on displaying agent fees ‘failing’, survey reveals

02/06/2017

The enforcement regime on displaying agent fees is ‘failing’, says licensing group as survey reveals the majority of councils are not issuing penalties for non-compliance.

Hi-tech ‘nuisance call’ blockers to be given to elderly

06/04/2017

Elderly and vulnerable people are to be given hi-tech devices to block nuisance calls.

Motorists warned not to ‘dice with death’ with second-hand tyres

23/01/2017

Motorists should not ‘dice with death’ by buying illegally sold second-hand tyres, council chiefs warn.

Consumer protection bodies ‘underfunded’, auditors say

15/12/2016

Local Trading Standards services are expected to enforce hundreds of pieces of legislation while their funding and staffing numbers are cut, auditors warn.

Vaping products included in tobacco council survey

18/11/2016

E-cigarettes and products associated with vaping have been included in a survey of the activity of council trading standards teams for the first time.

Councils warned to have 'robust' trading standards

06/10/2016

Councils have been warned to think carefully about their statutory duties when cutting services amid the threat of legal action.

Mamma mia! Council identifies ham and cheese pizzas...without ham or cheese

04/10/2016

A quarter of takeaway pizzas fail to contain the ingredients listed, an investigation by Warwickshire County Council has found.

Kent first approved council to provide Alternative Dispute Resolution services

10/08/2016

Kent has become the first local authority to be approved to provide Alternative Dispute Resolution services to consumers in a bid to resolve their complaints with traders.

Retailers ‘flout’ laws on selling e-cigarettes to children

09/08/2016

Four in ten retailers flout the laws on nicotine inhaling products, study shows.

Rogue companies dump more than 1,000 cars near Gatwick Airport

28/06/2016

A investigation by two councils and the police has uncovered more than a 1,000 vehicles abandoned by rogue parking operators in a boggy field near Gatwick Airport.

Councils back ‘legal high’ ban

26/05/2016

Local authorities have welcomed a new law banning so-called ‘legal highs’, which comes into force today (26 May).

Councils call for action on 'dangerous' teeth whitening kits

04/04/2016

Council leaders are urging people not to use ‘dangerous’ DIY teeth whitening kits, warning they can cause mouth infections and damage to nerves and tooth enamel.

Sunday trading hours to be extended

09/02/2016

Councils will be given powers to extend Sunday trading hours under new regulations expected to be announced in the autumn.

Illegally imported puppies given as Christmas presents may die within hours, warn local government leaders

22/12/2015

Illegally imported puppies given as Christmas presents may become sick or even die within hours, local government leaders have warned.

Derbyshire pizzas fail the ingredients test

04/09/2015

Food outlets in Derbyshire have been warned to label their products properly after an investigation found more than two thirds of ham and cheese pizzas did not contain the right ingredients.

Operation reveals extent of under-age cigarette sales

10/08/2015

An investigation has found almost a fifth of retailers sell cigarettes to children with the figure rising to around a quarter in London.

Government urged to radically reform structure of trading standards

10/06/2015

Local authority trading standards services should be abolished and replaced with larger, strategic authorities, according to a professional institute.

Councils seize toxic cigarettes in illegal trade crack down

26/08/2014

Local authorities have seized millions of black market cigarettes containing high-levels of cancer causing chemicals as part of a crack down on illegal trade.

Takeaway meat scare prompts prioritised council testing

17/04/2014

Councils are being asked to examine 300 food samples from takeaway restaurants, after lamb dishes across the UK were revealed to contain substitute meat.

'Dramatic' trading standards cuts will hit consumers

10/04/2014

Trading standards budget cuts of 40% have been damned as a ‘false economy’ by trade union Unison.

Union: Cuts decimating trading standards

19/12/2013

Spending cuts and staffing reductions are ‘decimating’ council trading standards services, trade union Unison has warned.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Assistant Prevention Practitioner

Essex County Council
£24395 - £31131 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Defined Benefit Pension
Assistant Prevention PractitionerPermanent, Full Time£24,395 to £31,131 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Finance and Admin Co-ordinator - Children's Social Care

Essex County Council
£25743 - £30286 per annum + + 26 Days leave & Defined Benefit Pension
Finance and Administration Co-ordinator - Children's Social CarePermanent, Full TimeUp to £30,286 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Business Relations Officer

West Northamptonshire Council
£26516 - £28013
We have an exciting opportunity within the West Northants Council. We are looking for a Business Relations Officer to support the Supported Living Review Team. This team is working closely with our Commissioning colleagues to review all current Learning D Northampton
Recuriter: West Northamptonshire Council

Senior Direct Payments Officer

West Northamptonshire Council
£29060 - £30712
To provide an effective, customer focused support service to people and children who are in receipt of Direct Payment. The post will support the Direct Payment Team Leader by managing the daily tasks for staff and lead the team through the effective use o Northampton
Recuriter: West Northamptonshire Council

Independent Domestic Violence Advisor - 2 Year Fixed Term

Essex County Council
£30931 - £35362 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Defined Benefit Pension
Independent Domestic Violence AdvisorFixed Term, Full Time£30,931 to £35,362 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council
Linkedin Banner

Partner Content

Circular highways is a necessity not an aspiration – and it’s within our grasp

Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.

Support from Effective Energy Group for Local Authorities to Deliver £430m Sustainable Warmth Funded Energy Efficiency Projects

Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.

Pay.UK – the next step in Bacs’ evolution

Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.