---

UPDATES: Thousands of illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes worth almost £50,000 have led to two men admitting offences following separate Humberside Police investigations in North East Lincolnshire. The seizures, linked to a nationwide crackdown on illicit tobacco, have sparked criticism over what council leaders describe as unduly lenient sentences ...

---

UPDATES: Two shop workers have been sentenced after admitting offences linked to the sale of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes from a Loughborough store. The case marks the fifth successful prosecution under Operation Hind, a county-wide crackdown on illegal tobacco and vaping products ...

---

UPDATES: A criminal network that laundered more than £331,000 stolen from vulnerable homeowners has finally been sentenced, with one jailed for over eight years. The gang targeted elderly victims with rogue building work scams, leaving some out of pocket by life-changing amounts. Trading Standards says the case sends a stark warning to fraudsters exploiting vulnerable residents ...

---

UPDATES: A Little Hulton convenience store has been forcibly shut down after repeatedly selling illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes, despite multiple raids and 31 public complaints. Salford City Council says the three‑month Closure Order sends a clear message after hidden stashes, test purchases and thousands of illicit items were uncovered ...

---

UPDATES: A rogue builder who conned homeowners out of more than £100,000 has been jailed after a major investigation by Barking and Dagenham Council and National Trading Standards. Using fake names and bogus companies, he left families out of pocket and homes unsafe ...

---

UPDATES: Manchester City Council Trading Standards, working alongside Greater Manchester Police (GMP), has seized more than £386,000 worth of illicit vapes, cigarettes and counterfeit goods from premises across the city as part of a partnership operation intended to safeguard the local community from illegal and dangerous products...

---

UPDATES: Trading Standards officers in North Northamptonshire have seized illicit tobacco worth an estimated £258,000 from a self-storage unit in Kettering. Acting on community intelligence, officers uncovered thousands of illegal cigarettes and tobacco products in a joint operation with police - highlighting the links between illegal tobacco, organised crime and risks to public health ...

UPDATES: A joint operation between North Northamptonshire Trading Standards and local police has removed illicit tobacco worth an estimated £258,000 from circulation after intelligence led officers to a self-storage unit in Kettering. The case highlights the continuing links between illicit tobacco, organised crime and the vital role community intelligence plays in disrupting criminal activity.

UPDATES: Manchester Trading Standards and Greater Manchester Police have removed more than £386,000 worth of illicit tobacco, vapes and counterfeit goods from the city's streets. The operation demonstrates how intelligence-led, multi-agency enforcement can disrupt organised criminality while protecting consumers and legitimate businesses.

---

UPDATES: A sophisticated wine investment scam that swindled 41 victims out of £6 million has been dismantled following a major Trading Standards investigation. Elderly and vulnerable people were targeted with high-pressure sales tactics and false promises of high returns, before the ringleaders were convicted of fraud in court ...