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Welcome to the Journal of Trading Standards online edition, JoTS Online. Browse through our latest Articles - including Analysis, Opinion Pieces, Features and a selection of articles from our acclaimed print journal.
Although many JoTS Online articles are open access (public), others are exclusive to CTSI Members - in which case, you'll need to login to access them. If you aren't a member of CTSI yet, you can join us here. And, if you'd like to contribute articles or suggest topics for us to cover, please email our Editorial Team.
Latest JoTS Online Articles :
News Category Tags: Crime, Product Safety, Health and Safety, Counterfeit Goods, Retail, Animal Health and Welfare, Legal and Policy, Enforcement Practice, Product Recalls, Property and Housing, Automotive, Vapes, Business, CTSI Conference, CTSI Hero Awards.
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Obituary: Norman Frederick Watson
Posted: 22 February 2023
UPDATES: Norman Watson’s career traced the changing shape of Trading Standards, from post-war weights and measures work to early Trade Descriptions Act prosecutions. This obituary remembers a forensic legal mind, generous teacher and private family man whose professionalism left a lasting mark on colleagues in Leeds and West Yorkshire.
Obituary: James Edward Morris
Posted: 22 February 2023
UPDATES: Jim Morris came late to Trading Standards but built a career of quiet distinction, from West Riding weights and measures work to the arrival of electronic rail weighbridges and Trade Descriptions enforcement. Remembered as practical, principled and deeply generous, he helped colleagues, students and people in need throughout his life.
Illegal vodka distillery discovered
Posted: 20 February 2023
UPDATES: HMRC officers, supported by Staffordshire Trading Standards, have dismantled a counterfeit vodka factory near Lichfield capable of producing 150 bottles an hour. The seizure exposed suspected fake Krackoff vodka, large storage tanks and an operation estimated to be evading £2.5m in excise duty each year.
Suspended sentence for COVID fraudster
Posted: 17 February 2023
UPDATES: Southwark Trading Standards’ prosecution of Bishop Climate Wiseman exposed the sale of £91 bottles of ‘Plague Protection Oil’ falsely promoted as a COVID-19 cure. The case shows how officers balanced community sensitivity, expert evidence and legal preparation to tackle dangerous health claims during the pandemic.
Orkney TS praised for successes
Posted: 17 February 2023
UPDATES: Orkney’s four-person Trading Standards team has been praised after recovering £110,000 for a scam victim, preventing further losses and helping residents secure refunds. The article highlights the value of a small, locally trusted service working across isolated island communities with limited resources.
Rogue builder jailed for fraud offences
Posted: 15 February 2023
UPDATES: Southwark Trading Standards’ investigation into rogue builder Richard Nicholls revealed more than £1.1m in losses, unfinished and dangerous work, and victims left financially and emotionally devastated. His three-year prison sentence followed support from the National Trading Standards Tri Regional Investigation Team and detailed financial evidence.
Suffolk TS secures victim compensation
Posted: 15 February 2023
UPDATES: Suffolk Trading Standards has secured £50,000 in compensation for victims of David Waters, whose mobility furniture company took deposits from elderly and disabled consumers but failed to deliver. The payout follows his fraud conviction and underlines the team’s work beyond prosecution to recover money for those harmed.
Illicit tobacco seized in NE Lincs
Posted: 13 February 2023
UPDATES: North East Lincolnshire Trading Standards and Humberside Police have seized illegal cigarettes, tobacco, shisha and disposable vapes from five businesses in Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The Operation CeCe raids removed products worth tens of thousands of pounds and continued a local enforcement drive against illicit tobacco sales.
Dorset man fined for unsafe fireworks
Posted: 08 February 2023
UPDATES: A business owner who failed to take measures to protect the public during a firework display has been...
Trading Standards focus of REUL debate
Posted: 07 February 2023
UPDATES: Trading Standards and consumer rights were in the spotlight yesterday evening (6 February) in the House of Lords...
Government replaces BEIS with new dept
Posted: 07 February 2023
UPDATES: The Government has announced that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has been replaced with...
Leicestershire rogue builder jailed
Posted: 06 February 2023
UPDATES: A builder from Leicestershire has been handed a four-year prison sentence after being found guilty of fraud offences....
NI TSS reveals coal short measures
Posted: 30 January 2023
UPDATES: An investigation by the Northern Ireland Trading Standards Service (TSS) has revealed that almost one in 10 bags...
Essex TS prosecutes smallholder
Posted: 24 January 2023
UPDATES: An investigation uncovered pigs left emaciated without adequate food, water or bedding, leading to prosecutions that underline the consequences of serious farm animal welfare failures.
Jail for Oxfordshire rogue roofers
Posted: 24 January 2023
UPDATES: Rogue traders who targeted an elderly homeowner with worthless roofing work have been jailed after expert evidence exposed the scale of the fraud.
Illicit vapes seized at Kent border
Posted: 23 January 2023
UPDATES: A major border operation intercepted more than 315,000 illegal vaping devices, highlighting the scale of the illicit market and the growing importance of coordinated enforcement at ports.
Illicit tobacco retailer sentenced
Posted: 17 January 2023
UPDATES: A retailer has been sentenced after repeated discoveries of illicit cigarettes and tobacco worth more than £8,000, highlighting the consequences of illegal tobacco sales and sustained Trading Standards enforcement.
Shop owners fined for illegal vapes
Posted: 13 January 2023
UPDATES: Two business owners have been fined after illegal vaping products were discovered on their premises, highlighting enforcement action against non-compliant retailers.
Franchise fraudsters found guilty
Posted: 10 January 2023
UPDATES: Fraudsters behind a payroll franchise scheme have been found guilty after selling costly licences that failed to deliver, bringing a lengthy Trading Standards investigation to court.
Falkirk TS praised for recycling scheme
Posted: 10 January 2023
UPDATES: Falkirk Trading Standards' award-winning recycling initiative gives seized counterfeit goods a new purpose, diverting materials to charities and community projects instead of landfill.
