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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 :
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In Conversation: Martyn James
Posted: 23 June 2025
OPINION: Martyn James reflects on a career spent explaining consumer rights to the public, from financial scandals and media work to the growing threat of AI-enabled fraud. His conversation underlines why clear, memorable advice matters when consumers are overwhelmed, anxious or unsure where to turn.
Analysis: Victims or villains?
Posted: 23 June 2025
ANALYSIS: Scam centres across Southeast Asia expose a darker reality behind online fraud, where many perpetrators are themselves trafficking victims trapped by organised crime. The piece examines how globalised scams damage UK consumers while exploiting vulnerable workers, and why enforcement responses must recognise both sides of that harm.
Analysis: Something to prove
Posted: 23 June 2025
ANALYSIS: Operation Usk began as a local illicit tobacco inquiry and became one of Wales’ most significant Trading Standards investigations, uncovering fraud, money laundering and links to wider organised crime. Mandy Flood’s account shows the personal risks, partnership working and persistence needed when apparently routine cases reveal something far more serious.
Analysis: Under attack
Posted: 23 June 2025
ANALYSIS: Local authorities and Trading Standards teams are no longer just warning others about cyber threats - they are increasingly targets themselves. Drawing on expert advice and recent data incidents, this piece explains the practical steps councils need to take to protect sensitive information, investigations and frontline services.
CTSI Conference 2025: Day Three
Posted: 20 June 2025
UPDATES: The final day of CTSI Conference 2025 looked firmly to the future, from workforce diversity and professional development to the DMCC Act and Primary Authority. As awards, reflections and a change of Chair brought Blackpool to a close, the message was one of inclusion, renewal and readiness for change.
CTSI Conference 2025: Day Two
Posted: 18 June 2025
UPDATES: Day Two of CTSI Conference 2025 placed artificial intelligence, consumer vulnerability and emerging regulatory challenges at the centre of discussion. Alongside sessions on cosmetic procedures, animal welfare, ghost plates and renters’ rights, delegates were urged to focus on people as much as technology when protecting consumers.
CTSI Conference 2025: Day One
Posted: 17 June 2025
UPDATES: CTSI Conference 2025 opened in Blackpool with a programme that reflected the full breadth of modern Trading Standards work, from organised crime and unsafe products to inclusion, new legislation and consumer detriment. The first day set a clear tone: stretched services remain ambitious, resilient and essential.
Analysis: Putting it out there
Posted: 16 June 2025
ANALYSIS: CTSI’s return to the REACH Society Careers Conference showed how direct engagement with young people can widen access to Trading Standards and regulatory careers. The piece highlights the importance of representation, apprenticeships and collaboration in building a profession that better reflects the communities it serves.
Local gov't funding rise welcomed
Posted: 12 June 2025
UPDATES: CTSI has welcomed the Spending Review’s projected rise in local authority funding and new investment linked to tobacco and vapes enforcement, while warning that Trading Standards will still need local prioritisation. The response sets out both the opportunities and the risks for services facing reform, devolution and digital change.
Farmer given 10-year livestock ban
Posted: 09 June 2025
UPDATES: A Cambridgeshire farmer has been banned from keeping livestock for 10 years after Trading Standards found animals in poor conditions and disease control rules being ignored. The prosecution underlines the role of local enforcement in protecting animal welfare, traceability and responsible farming standards.
