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: The Government has announced a major crackdown on “cowboy” cosmetic procedures, targeting unqualified practitioners and high-risk treatments. New rules will restrict who can carry out procedures such as non-surgical BBLs, tighten oversight of fillers and Botox, and introduce stronger protections for under-18s, following mounting evidence of serious harm ...

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 ...

UPDATES: A Kidlington shop owner who repeatedly flouted tobacco and vape laws has admitted multiple offences after Trading Standards uncovered illegal vapes and banned snus on open display. Despite prior warnings, prosecutions and a revoked alcohol licence, officers say enforcement action was unavoidable ...

UPDATES: A Reading shopkeeper has been fined after selling a vape to a 14-year-old during a Trading Standards sting, despite previous warnings and a past closure order. The case exposes repeated failures to protect children, highlights tough enforcement in the borough, and sends a clear warning to retailers flouting age-restriction laws after yet another failed test purchase ...

UPDATES: A driveway trader who posed under a false name has been convicted after ripping off homeowners with shoddy, overpriced and unfinished work. An investigation uncovered fraud, illegal waste dumping and broken consumer laws, leaving victims thousands out of pocket. Now ordered to repay £11,000, the case highlights how rogue traders operate and how Trading Standards shut them down ...

UPDATES: A Plymouth glazier who intimidated customers, carried out shoddy work and misused a trusted trader logo has been sentenced after a Trading Standards prosecution. Complaints revealed fraud, threats and misleading claims that left victims distressed and out of pocket - ending with a suspended prison sentence, community service and a director ban ...

UPDATES: Two women who built a lucrative counterfeit goods operation on Facebook Marketplace have been sentenced after a Trading Standards investigation uncovered fake designer items worth tens of thousands of pounds. Despite clear warnings, the illegal trade continued - ending with one woman jailed for over two years and a stark warning about the scale and harm of counterfeit crime ...

UPDATES: A Dagenham shop owner has been fined after Trading Standards seized nearly £45,000 worth of illegal oversized disposable vapes. Despite previous warnings, thousands of non-compliant devices were found on sale, prompting prosecution and fresh closure threats - underscoring a tough crackdown on traders who put profits ahead of public health and youth safety ...

UPDATES: Trading Standards teams nationwide are warning parents about a surge in counterfeit “Labubu” dolls flooding shops and online marketplaces. Seized across the UK, the fake toys pose potential choking and chemical risks and often lack safety markings. With prices that seem too good to be true, officials urge shoppers to stay alert and buy only from trusted sellers ...