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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.
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.
Illegal vape seller hit with £6,000 fine
Posted: 30 October 2024
UPDATES: A Gloucester shop owner has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 after repeated Trading Standards visits uncovered large quantities of illegal oversized disposable vapes at his shop and in his car.
Mail forwarding company fined
Posted: 29 October 2024
UPDATES: Islington’s prosecution of Mailbox Group Ltd highlights the compliance risks facing mail forwarding firms after fake identification checks obstructed a drugs investigation and exposed serious weaknesses in client verification.
Northern Ireland TSS takes on fakes
Posted: 28 October 2024
UPDATES: Northern Ireland Trading Standards Service seized more than £200,000 of counterfeit goods during targeted inspections, warning that fake fashion, accessories and electronics damage consumers, legitimate traders and the wider economy.
Vinyl fraudster ordered to pay up
Posted: 24 October 2024
UPDATES: Dorset Trading Standards has secured a further proceeds of crime order against a convicted counterfeit vinyl seller after investigators identified undisclosed assets linked to his £1.2m fake records operation.
CTSI issues parking scam warning
Posted: 23 October 2024
UPDATES: CTSI is warning motorists about a surge in parking fine smishing texts that mimic Government websites, threaten legal action or driving bans, and direct victims to payment pages controlled by fraudsters.
Hot water bottle safety tips
Posted: 22 October 2024
UPDATES: Heart of the South West Trading Standards is urging consumers to check the age, condition and safe use of hot water bottles, warning that damaged or ageing products can cause serious burns.
Hull gets gold with Touchstone Award
Posted: 21 October 2024
UPDATES: Hull Trading Standards receives the Touchstone Award after dismantling a major online jewellery scam, highlighting the investigation that led to recognition for protecting consumers.
Notts TS seizes 1,400 illegal vapes
Posted: 21 October 2024
UPDATES: Enforcement action against two Newark shops resulted in the seizure of more than 1,400 illegal vapes, underlining continued efforts to tackle illicit products.
Hefty fine for Asda's food safety failures
Posted: 21 October 2024
UPDATES: A prosecution over food displayed months beyond its use-by date ended with a £250,000 fine for Asda, illustrating the consequences of serious food safety failures.
LTS recognises local safeguarding hero
Posted: 16 October 2024
UPDATES: London Trading Standards has honoured a local safeguarding champion with a Touchstone Award, recognising outstanding partnership work to protect vulnerable residents from consumer harm.
Illegal 'American candy' destroyed
Posted: 15 October 2024
UPDATES: Enforcement officers oversaw the destruction of thousands of imported confectionery products that failed to meet UK food labelling and safety requirements, including counterfeit-style 'American candy'.
'Record seizure' makes local history
Posted: 15 October 2024
UPDATES: A routine visit to a Hammersmith and Fulham convenience store uncovered what the council described as the biggest illegal cigarette seizure in local history, alongside tobacco, vapes and evidence of suspected organised crime links that led to the shop being shut down.
