---

UPDATES: CTSI has cautiously welcomed new funding announced in the Government’s Spending Review, including billions for councils and targeted investment for tobacco and vape enforcement. While the plans offer fresh opportunities for Trading Standards, key questions remain over local priorities, ringfencing and whether frontline services will truly see the benefits ...

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.

---

UPDATES: Emaciated animals, ignored warnings, and serious disease control breaches - Trading Standards uncovered shocking conditions on farmland near Farcet. A Peterborough farmer has now been banned from keeping livestock for a decade after pleading guilty to multiple animal welfare offences. Here’s how the case unfolded and why authorities say it matters ...

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.

---

UPDATES: A cruel new scam is targeting people at their most vulnerable—grieving families and friends of the recently deceased. Fraudsters are hijacking funeral notices to steal money and personal details, prompting strong warnings from CTSI. Here’s how the scam works, why it’s so damaging, and what you can do to protect yourself and others ...

UPDATES: Fraudsters are exploiting online funeral notices to target grieving families with convincing payment requests. Trading Standards has issued a stark warning and explains the simple checks that can prevent mourners becoming victims of this cruel scam.

OPINION: Personal faith and professional duty need not exist in separate worlds. Reflecting on life as a practising Muslim working in Trading Standards, this thoughtful piece explores the shared values of integrity, fairness, service and accountability that underpin both.

---

UPDATES: Criminals are exploiting ‘ghost’ number plates that vanish from ANPR cameras, helping them dodge fines, speed traps and even serious investigations. With plates costing as little as £30 and penalties lagging behind the risk, CTSI and MPs are calling for a crackdown. Here’s why authorities say the system is being dangerously abused - and what could change next ...

UPDATES: CTSI is urging tougher action against so-called 'ghost plates' that allow drivers to evade detection by ANPR cameras. The growing availability of these illegal number plates raises significant concerns for road safety and law enforcement.

DEVELOPMENT: The Consumer Code for Home Builders explains how independent oversight, clear standards and effective redress help protect homebuyers. This CPPD module examines the Code's requirements, practical operation and the role it plays in raising standards across the sector.