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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.
Shopkeeper fined for underage sale
Posted: 14 October 2024
UPDATES: A Taunton shop owner has been ordered to pay more than £2,300 after a disposable vape was sold to an under-18 volunteer during a Trading Standards test purchase, underlining the need for staff training and robust age-verification procedures.
Staffs TS makes 'significant' seizure
Posted: 10 October 2024
UPDATES: Trading Standards officers in Staffordshire seized a significant quantity of illegal vapes during enforcement activity, reinforcing ongoing efforts to remove non-compliant products from sale and protect consumers.
Illegal tobacco clampdown in LBBD
Posted: 10 October 2024
UPDATES: Officers report major seizures of illicit tobacco following a sustained clampdown on illegal sales across the borough.
Oxfordshire TS: rogue trader alert
Posted: 09 October 2024
UPDATES: Residents are urged to remain vigilant after severe weather prompted warnings of increased rogue trader activity targeting damaged properties.
LTS highlights renters' rights
Posted: 09 October 2024
UPDATES: London Trading Standards Week spotlights the fight against rogue landlords and letting agents, promoting a reporting service that helps private renters enforce their rights while supporting enforcement action across the capital.
Hallmarking: worth its weight in gold
Posted: 08 October 2024
OPINION: Counterfeit gold jewellery remains a major threat to consumers and legitimate traders. This opinion piece argues that effective hallmarking, stronger enforcement and greater public awareness are essential to protecting confidence in the jewellery market.
Black History Month art show
Posted: 08 October 2024
UPDATES: An exhibition at Westminster City Council marks Black History Month through the work of eight artists, celebrating creativity, identity and inclusion while highlighting the contribution of Trading Standards professional Giles Speid as curator.
LTS weighs in on unfair pricing
Posted: 08 October 2024
UPDATES: Inspections during London Trading Standards Week uncovered widespread pricing failures, from missing shelf prices to misleading charges at the till, reinforcing the importance of clear pricing and robust enforcement during the cost-of-living crisis.
CTSI speaks out on fraud protections
Posted: 07 October 2024
UPDATES: CTSI criticises the reduction in the reimbursement cap for authorised push payment fraud victims, warning that the new limit risks leaving consumers exposed and calling for stronger protections against increasingly sophisticated scams.
LTS Week takes bite out of illegal cigs
Posted: 07 October 2024
UPDATES: London Trading Standards Week opens by showcasing the capital's work against illegal tobacco, highlighting major seizures, Operation CeCe enforcement activity and the health, criminal and economic harms caused by illicit cigarettes and vapes.
Haul of fakes seized in Tameside
Posted: 04 October 2024
UPDATES: Trading Standards officers in Tameside seized hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of illicit vapes, tobacco and counterfeit goods during coordinated raids, demonstrating the impact of intelligence-led operations against organised criminality.
Age verification app wins approval
Posted: 04 October 2024
UPDATES: A new age verification app has received Primary Authority approval after demonstrating high levels of accuracy, offering retailers an automated way to strengthen age-restricted sales compliance and record refusals.
OPSS issues water bead warning
Posted: 04 October 2024
UPDATES: OPSS is warning parents, retailers and professionals about the serious risks posed by expandable water beads, following reports of severe injuries overseas and renewed advice on keeping the products away from young children.
CTSI celebrates Black History Month
Posted: 02 October 2024
UPDATES: CTSI marks Black History Month with articles, profiles and resources celebrating Black leaders, public service pioneers and the profession's diversity while encouraging members to engage with this year's 'Reclaiming Narratives' theme.
'Skinny' Prosecco claims misled
Posted: 30 September 2024
UPDATES: A company and its director have been fined for making misleading claims about Prosecco following a prosecution by West Yorkshire Trading Standards. The ‘Skinny’ Prosecco 1754 and ‘Skinny’ Rose Prosecco 1754 which were marketed by Prosecco 1754 Ltd first came...
LBBD targets illegal tobacco
Posted: 30 September 2024
UPDATES: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Trading Standards have revealed that almost a quarter of businesses targeted by a series of recent test purchase operations were selling illegal tobacco. In intelligence-led investigations on 11 and 12 September, 42 premises were...
Scam Van takes to the road again
Posted: 30 September 2024
UPDATES: Scottish Borders Trading Standards is taking its Scam Van to Eyemouth, Kelso, Galashiels and Hawick, giving residents practical guidance and community resources to help them spot and avoid scams.
Underage vapes seller fined
Posted: 26 September 2024
UPDATES: Heart of the South West Trading Standards (HotSW TS) is reminding shopkeepers to ask their customers for ID following the prosecution of a trader who sold vapes to an under-18-year-old. At Newton Abbey Magistrates Court on 23 September Andrew Hawkins...
Southampton TS seizes fake goods
Posted: 24 September 2024
UPDATES: Southampton City Council Trading Standards has seized counterfeit and illicit vapes, cigarettes, watches, handbags and scarves with a combined value of more than £100,000 during inspections of two local businesses. Working alongside officers from Hampshire Police on 7 September, the...
Operation Vulcan seizes £1m of vapes
Posted: 23 September 2024
UPDATES: Salford City Council Trading Standards Officers, working with Greater Manchester Police as part of the Operation Vulcan initiative, have seized approximately £1m of illicit and counterfeit vapes from a Cheetham Hill shop. The products were discovered behind a hidden door...
