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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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Illicit tobacco seller hit with hefty fine
Posted: 02 December 2024
UPDATES: A Dagenham shopkeeper and business have been fined after Barking and Dagenham Trading Standards found almost 2,000 illicit and counterfeit cigarettes hidden on the premises during Operation CeCe inspections.
NTS data: over a million vapes seized
Posted: 27 November 2024
UPDATES: New National Trading Standards figures show more than 1.19 million illegal vapes and 19 million illicit cigarettes were seized in England in 2023/24, underlining the scale of enforcement pressure on unsafe products and underage sales.
Avoid the scammers this Black Friday
Posted: 25 November 2024
UPDATES: Worcestershire Trading Standards is urging Black Friday shoppers to stay alert to bogus websites, counterfeit goods and unsafe payment requests, while reminding consumers of their cancellation and refund rights when online bargains go wrong.
Wiltshire TS seize illegal goods
Posted: 25 November 2024
UPDATES: Wiltshire Trading Standards has seized counterfeit and unsafe tobacco and vape products from businesses in Chippenham, Devizes and Melksham, with prosecutions now being prepared after raids supported by Wiltshire Police.
Loan sharks on social media warning
Posted: 20 November 2024
UPDATES: Scotland’s illegal money lending watchdog is warning that loan sharks are using social media to target people under financial pressure, as Christmas costs and the wider cost-of-living crisis leave vulnerable borrowers exposed.
Father and son rogues sentenced
Posted: 18 November 2024
UPDATES: A father-and-son roofing operation has been sentenced after targeting elderly and vulnerable residents with unnecessary work, ignoring Trading Standards intervention and returning to extract further payment from victims.
AI 'Granny' fights back against scams
Posted: 18 November 2024
UPDATES: O2’s AI-generated ‘Granny’ has been built to keep phone scammers talking, turning the tactics of fraudsters against them while highlighting the scale of attempted fraud and the need for consumers to report suspicious calls and texts.
Rogue builder hit with PoCA ruling
Posted: 14 November 2024
UPDATES: Bath & North East Somerset Trading Standards has secured a £108,085 Proceeds of Crime Act order against a builder who took large deposits, abandoned work and left customers facing serious financial losses.
'Cowboy builder' brought to justice
Posted: 12 November 2024
UPDATES: A Telford rogue trader who pressured an elderly homeowner into paying more than £60,000 for poor and unnecessary work has received a suspended sentence, underlining the risks faced by vulnerable consumers targeted at home.
Rogue letting agents found guilty
Posted: 11 November 2024
UPDATES: A Tower Hamlets investigation has secured convictions against rogue letting agents who used multiple company names to exploit international students and workers through misleading adverts, unprotected deposits and unlawful rental practices.
Rogue trader guilty on five counts
Posted: 08 November 2024
UPDATES: Walsall Trading Standards has secured guilty verdicts against rogue builder Shane Steven Rollinson, whose poor work, false business identities and attempts to influence witnesses left customers thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Winter fuel payment scam alert
Posted: 07 November 2024
UPDATES: Cheshire West & Chester Trading Standards is warning pensioners about fake winter fuel payment texts that direct recipients to bogus websites and ask for personal and banking details.
East Riding TS make £14,500 seizure
Posted: 06 November 2024
UPDATES: East Riding Trading Standards has seized illicit tobacco and vape products worth £14,500 from Goole businesses, with hidden stock found during Operation CeCe raids supported by police and detection dogs.
Sham 'slimming pills' trader guilty
Posted: 06 November 2024
UPDATES: Hull Trading Standards has secured a conviction against the owner of WHS Sports Nutrition after ‘Slimbod’ slimming pills were found to lack the active ingredient claimed on the packaging.
Tobacco and Vapes Bill launched
Posted: 06 November 2024
UPDATES: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would phase out tobacco sales by raising the legal age of purchase each year, introduce tighter controls on vaping products and give enforcement teams new powers to tackle underage sales.
Oasis fans hit by ticket scammers
Posted: 05 November 2024
UPDATES: Lloyds Bank figures show Oasis fans are being heavily targeted by ticket scammers, with most reported cases starting on social media and average losses reaching hundreds of pounds.
LBBD TS conducts acid test purchases
Posted: 05 November 2024
UPDATES: Barking and Dagenham officers found failures in retailer controls on high-strength corrosive products, using test purchases to reinforce age restrictions, EPP licence requirements and the serious consequences of non-compliance.
Electric blankets tested for safety
Posted: 05 November 2024
UPDATES: Nottinghamshire Trading Standards and fire officers found 170 of 282 electric blankets tested at local events were unsafe, prompting renewed warnings on ageing products, visible damage and the fire risks facing vulnerable residents.
Obituary: Janet Masson
Posted: 30 October 2024
UPDATES: Janet Masson’s career took her from landmark Trade Descriptions Act cases in Southwark to national leadership on food standards and nutrition, leaving colleagues with memories of formidable expertise, warmth and lasting professional influence.
Firework safety in the spotlight
Posted: 30 October 2024
UPDATES: South Lanarkshire Trading Standards is checking all 34 registered firework sellers through covert test purchases, reinforcing Scotland’s rules on underage sales, legal selling hours and restricted seasonal sales periods.
