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Journal of Trading Standards, Online Edition - JoTS Online

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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Matt Allwright: Crime in the kitchen

Posted: 04 February 2019

OPINION: Matt Allwright reflects on rogue kitchen traders and the damage caused when home improvement work goes wrong, using a familiar consumer problem to underline why enforcement and public awareness still matter.
 

Landlord prosecuted in landmark case

Posted: 23 January 2019

UPDATES: A landmark prosecution sees a Lincoln landlord convicted after knowingly allowing premises to be used for serious illicit tobacco and alcohol offending, reinforcing the consequences of facilitating organised criminal activity.
 

Elite sniffer dog threatened by gangs

Posted: 23 January 2019

UPDATES: Specialist detection dog Scamp, whose work has helped uncover illegal tobacco and other criminal activity, becomes the target of organised crime gangs, underlining the growing risks faced by enforcement teams.
 

Nuisance pension calls banned

Posted: 10 January 2019

UPDATES: New legislation banning nuisance pension cold calls aims to protect consumers from high-pressure approaches and scams, particularly where retirement savings are placed at risk by unwanted contact.
 

Businesses briefed on modern slavery

Posted: 26 October 2018

UPDATES: Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards is training Buy With Confidence businesses to spot and report modern slavery, turning trusted traders into an additional intelligence network against exploitation.
 

Warning over bogus insulation scheme

Posted: 26 October 2018

UPDATES: East Sussex Trading Standards warns residents about bogus home insulation callers falsely claiming council backing. Learn how the scam operates, your cancellation rights and the genuine grant scheme available to eligible households.
 

West Yorks targets rogue traders

Posted: 12 October 2018

UPDATES: West Yorkshire Trading Standards is urging residents to reject cold callers as part of renewed action against rogue traders, while promoting practical measures to protect vulnerable people from doorstep crime.
 

Smallholder receives livestock ban

Posted: 28 September 2018

UPDATES: A Dorset smallholder has been prosecuted for serious animal welfare offences, receiving fines and a lengthy ban on keeping poultry and pigs after Trading Standards investigated conditions on the holding.
 

£0.5m knife crime court victory

Posted: 25 September 2018

UPDATES: B&M Retail was ordered to pay more than £490,000 after repeated sales of knives to children during test purchases. The prosecution highlights the consequences of failing to enforce age-restricted sales controls.
 

LTS saves Londoners £2m a year

Posted: 12 September 2018

UPDATES: London Trading Standards highlights how partnership working against doorstep crime and fraud has saved residents around £2 million while protecting vulnerable consumers through rapid intervention, training and community engagement.
 

Devon plumber sentenced for fraud

Posted: 13 August 2018

UPDATES: A North Devon plumber has received suspended jail sentences, fines and compensation orders after trading standards uncovered fraudulent invoicing, excessive charges and unsafe work carried out while he was still on licence for earlier offences.
 

Blackburn livestock auction fined

Posted: 10 August 2018

UPDATES: Gisburn Auction Marts has been found guilty after 35 lame sheep were placed in sale pens, with the court identifying procedural failures that could have allowed unfit animals to be sold.
 

CTSI warns on timeshare scams

Posted: 27 July 2018

UPDATES: Holidaymakers are being reminded to think carefully before accepting invitations to timeshare presentations. CTSI outlines the legal protections in place, the long-term financial commitments involved and the warning signs of high-pressure sales tactics.
 

Southwark confronts 'modern slavery'

Posted: 22 July 2018

UPDATES: Southwark Council's investigation into a licensed shop uncovered serious licensing breaches, smuggled alcohol and workers living in exploitative conditions, leading to licence revocation and wider action against modern slavery.
 

£1.6m POCA order for Operation Gleam

Posted: 25 June 2018

ANALYSIS: Operation Gleam began with unsafe tooth-whitening products at the Royal Welsh Show and grew into a multi-agency fraud investigation exposing eight years of phoenix companies, misleading sales and dangerous peroxide levels. Powys Trading Standards’ £1.6m POCA order showed how persistence, regional cooperation and financial investigation can turn a local enquiry into serious enforcement.
 

New measures to beat nuisance calls

Posted: 11 June 2018

UPDATES: New government proposals would allow the Information Commissioner’s Office to fine company directors personally for nuisance marketing, closing a loophole used by firms that liquidate and restart under new names. The measures sit alongside tougher direct marketing rules, better data sharing with Ofcom and funding for call blockers to protect vulnerable consumers.
 

Crypto fraudsters fake celeb backing

Posted: 18 May 2018

UPDATES: Fraudsters are exploiting celebrity endorsements and social media to promote bogus cryptocurrency investments, using familiar faces to build false credibility and persuade consumers to part with substantial sums.
 

Matt Allwright: Offensive Weapons

Posted: 12 May 2018

OPINION: Matt Allwright reflects on the debate surrounding offensive weapons, including so-called zombie knives, asking whether legislation alone can tackle the problem and what role enforcement and wider society should play.
 

CBO for 'cancer cure' claim man

Posted: 20 April 2018

UPDATES: National Trading Standards secured a conviction and Criminal Behaviour Order against a businessman who falsely claimed he could treat serious illnesses including cancer through blood tests, diet and unauthorised products after he ignored Advertising Standards Authority rulings.
 

A brush with art fraud

Posted: 15 January 2018

ANALYSIS: An investigation into fake works attributed to Cornish artist Alfred Wallis reveals how forensic examination, inter-authority cooperation and careful analysis of provenance prevented consumers from spending up to £125,000 on forged artwork, while highlighting the importance of due diligence for auction houses.