UPDATES: Two shop workers have been sentenced after admitting offences linked to the sale of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes from a Loughborough store. The case marks the fifth successful prosecution under Operation Hind, a county-wide crackdown on illegal tobacco and vaping products ...

UPDATES: A criminal network that laundered more than £331,000 stolen from vulnerable homeowners has finally been sentenced, with one jailed for over eight years. The gang targeted elderly victims with rogue building work scams, leaving some out of pocket by life-changing amounts. Trading Standards says the case sends a stark warning to fraudsters exploiting vulnerable residents ...

UPDATES: A Little Hulton convenience store has been forcibly shut down after repeatedly selling illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes, despite multiple raids and 31 public complaints. Salford City Council says the three‑month Closure Order sends a clear message after hidden stashes, test purchases and thousands of illicit items were uncovered ...

UPDATES: A rogue builder who conned homeowners out of more than £100,000 has been jailed after a major investigation by Barking and Dagenham Council and National Trading Standards. Using fake names and bogus companies, he left families out of pocket and homes unsafe ...

UPDATES: Manchester City Council Trading Standards, working alongside Greater Manchester Police (GMP), has seized more than £386,000 worth of illicit vapes, cigarettes and counterfeit goods from premises across the city as part of a partnership operation intended to safeguard the local community from illegal and dangerous products...

UPDATES: Trading Standards officers in North Northamptonshire have seized illicit tobacco worth an estimated £258,000 from a self-storage unit in Kettering. Acting on community intelligence, officers uncovered thousands of illegal cigarettes and tobacco products in a joint operation with police - highlighting the links between illegal tobacco, organised crime and risks to public health ...

UPDATES: A sophisticated wine investment scam that swindled 41 victims out of £6 million has been dismantled following a major Trading Standards investigation. Elderly and vulnerable people were targeted with high-pressure sales tactics and false promises of high returns, before the ringleaders were convicted of fraud in court ...

UPDATES: A major multi-agency operation in Northumberland has taken thousands of illicit cigarettes and tobacco products off the streets, dealing a significant blow to suspected organised crime networks. Acting on intelligence, Trading Standards and police uncovered large-scale illegal supplies and warned that tackling illicit tobacco is vital to protecting public health and local communities ...

UPDATES: Trading Standards in Northern Ireland has prosecuted a builder who took £20,000 for an extension he failed to complete, leaving a homeowner with a half-built structure and major financial losses. The case highlights the devastating impact of rogue traders, with the offender convicted of fraud and ordered to pay compensation ...

UPDATES: Lincolnshire Trading Standards has carried out its largest-ever illegal tobacco seizure, removing more than 320,000 illicit cigarettes and 165kg of hand rolling tobacco in coordinated raids with police. Two shops were closed for three months as officers warned of links to organised crime, public safety risks and serious fire hazards ...