SPONSORED: Entries are now open for the 2025 Touchstone Award, celebrating innovative Trading Standards work that promotes the importance of hallmarking and consumer protection across the UK.

UPDATES: New Food Standards Agency guidance aims to help food businesses provide clearer, more consistent allergen information, supporting consumers with food allergies and improving confidence in food safety.

OPINION: Trading Standards cannot protect modern consumers or attract future talent from the sidelines. A direct call for the profession to engage with digital culture, diverse communities and social media on their own terms.

UPDATES: New government proposals would tighten the rules on online knife sales, increase penalties for illegal supply to under-18s and place greater responsibility on retailers and platforms.

UPDATES: The ASA has revealed a rise in scam adverts using celebrities, public figures and AI-generated deepfakes, with cryptocurrency, investment, slimming, travel and fake retail offers among the main threats.

UPDATES: CTSI is warning consumers to be alert to romance scams this Valentine’s Day, as AI, deepfakes and long-term grooming tactics make online deception more convincing and damaging.

UPDATES: A specialist training day at the Birmingham Assay Office highlighted the growing importance of diamond description, verification and hallmarking knowledge for Trading Standards Officers tackling consumer fraud.

UPDATES: CTSI has marked National Apprenticeship Week by promoting Trading Standards as an open and rewarding career path, with apprenticeships helping services build skills and attract new talent.

UPDATES: Consumer group Which? has published a new report on the capacity and performance of Local Authority Trading Standards services which it says exposes ‘shocking differences in staffing levels.

UPDATES: Supermarket giants Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have come to the attention of Trading Standards for potential breaches of the law after it emerged that tobacco-heating devices are being advertised.

DEVELOPMENT: The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is a vital piece of UK legislation that allows Trading Standards authorities (and other law enforcement agencies) to tackle criminal activity by.

UPDATES: Telecoms industry trade association Comms Council UK (CCUK) has announced a collaboration with National Trading Standards (NTS) to bolster fraud detection and prevention. The move comes amid a.

UPDATES: CTSI is offering free training for members on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, covering new online consumer protections, enforcement powers and rules affecting tech firms, marketplaces and sellers.

UPDATES: Consumers are being warned to steer clear of quick-fix weight-loss products and fake online pharmacies as Trading Standards highlights the risks posed by unproven diet scams and misleading health claims.

UPDATES: Following the Southport tragedy, the Government is accelerating tougher age-verification rules for online knife sales, with significant implications for retailers and consumer protection enforcement.

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ANALYSIS: A new government, a packed legislative agenda and rising expectations of enforcement – what does it all mean for Trading Standards? From product safety and online marketplaces to tobacco control, renters’ rights and planning reform, this article breaks down the key Bills moving through parliament ...

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ANALYSIS: Peter Tompkins’ 60-year Trading Standards career spans from Weights and Measures inspections to modern consumer protection. He’s seen major changes: more women in the profession, shifts from prosecutions to advice, and challenges from austerity. Optimistic, he stresses the need for proper funding, sensible regulation, and further support for new officers ...

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ANALYSIS: Justin Madders, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets, reveals how Trading Standards protects consumers, supports businesses, and tackles rogue traders in a rapidly changing digital world. From online marketplaces to Net Zero initiatives, Madders highlights the critical role of enforcement, funding, and modern regulation in creating a safer, fairer, and more confident economy ...

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ANALYSIS: Nearly half a billion pounds was lost to bank scams in the UK last year, leaving victims “devastated, embarrassed and angry with themselves.” Experts warn that consumer education is key to prevention, yet dwindling resources mean many miss out on vital guidance. Discover how Trading Standards is fighting back - and why early education could protect you for life ...

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ANALYSIS: A family home destroyed in seconds, lives lost, and a father left to plead for change - all because of overheating e-bike and e-scooter batteries. With fires on the rise, experts are calling for urgent regulation, safer design, and stricter online sales rules. Read how one tragedy is sparking a fight to protect UK households from this hidden danger ...