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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.
Home improvement fraudsters jailed
Posted: 18 December 2024
UPDATES: Rogue traders who targeted householders with fraudulent home improvement work have been jailed following a lengthy investigation, sending a strong deterrent message to offenders operating in the sector.
Celebrating the CTSI Hero Awards 2024
Posted: 12 December 2024
UPDATES: The CTSI Hero Awards recognise individuals and teams whose dedication, innovation and commitment have made an outstanding contribution to consumer protection and the Trading Standards profession.
Shop fined for vape sale to minor
Posted: 06 December 2024
UPDATES: A retailer has been fined after selling a vape to an underage customer, reinforcing the importance of age-restricted sales enforcement and retailer compliance.
Sniffer dog Boo scares illicit sellers
Posted: 06 December 2024
UPDATES: Specialist detection dog Boo continues to play a valuable role in uncovering illicit tobacco, demonstrating how innovative enforcement techniques are helping disrupt the illegal market.
American candy Christmas warning
Posted: 04 December 2024
UPDATES: Imported American sweets, snacks and fizzy drinks are under renewed scrutiny this Christmas, as CTSI warns parents and retailers about products with missing UK labelling, undeclared allergens and unauthorised additives found in high-street shops.
Knives illegally sold to under-18s
Posted: 03 December 2024
UPDATES: Lancashire test-purchase operations have exposed widespread illegal knife sales to under-18s, with young volunteers able to buy bladed items from more than a third of shops visited during Operation Sceptre.
Closure Order for illegal vape shop
Posted: 02 December 2024
UPDATES: Reading Trading Standards has secured a three-month Closure Order against a shop linked to years of illicit tobacco and vape sales, following repeated seizures, hidden stock discoveries and complaints about sales to children.
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.
Profile: Can-do attitude
Posted: 26 November 2024
ANALYSIS: Kristina Hann’s Trading Standards career has taken in disability, discrimination, elite swimming, rogue trader investigations and life with assistance dog Louis. Her story is a sharp reminder that reasonable adjustments open doors, while low expectations close them.
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.
