Latest news with #Firecrest
South Wales Argus
19-07-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Illegal tobacco, vapes and fakes seized in Newport raids
The goods were seized in 41 raids of premises across the city between March 2024 and April 2025. It includes more than 300,000 cigarettes, 144 kilograms of tobacco, and 12,400 'unsafe' vapes – as well as nearly 5,000 counterfeit items – according to a new council report. The seizures represent another busy year for Newport City Council's trading standards department. While officers confiscated more tobacco products the previous year, the total value of seizures in 2024/25 is ten times higher, thanks to the recovery of expensive counterfeit items. This is because the council estimates the value of fakes at the same price as their real counterparts. Operations codenamed Frost and Firecrest have proved successful in targeting rogue traders, and the latter won the council and Gwent Police a national trading standards award for tackling illegal tobacco and vape supply in Pillgwenlly. The city council encourages residents to report those illicit products via the 'No ifs no butts' campaign's website. The campaign describes illegal vapes as 'untested' products which may not follow regulations – either because they are fake brands, high strength or potentially smuggled into the UK. Single-use vapes have also been banned since June, and in Newport trading standards officers have visited more than 80 retailers across the city to provide information about the law change. Illegal tobacco may also be smuggled or bootlegged into the country, and the term also covers sales of individual cigarettes, fake brands or otherwise untaxed products, according to 'No ifs, no butts'. The council report for 2024/25 also includes information on underage sales of tobacco and vaping products. Optimistically, incidents appear to have dropped since the previous year, when 17 out of 60 shops failed a 'test purchase'. The figure for last year was an improved 11 failures out of 63, and each retailer affected has 'received a guidance intervention' on the rules.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rare bird of prey among birds spotted soaring over Wiltshire
Rare birds such as the Hen Harrier and Firecrest have been spotted across Wiltshire since the start of 2025, according to birdwatchers. The county is a great place for bird spotting due to its grasslands, river valleys and lakes which play home to a wide range of bird species throughout the seasons. During the first few weeks of 2025, various birds have been spotted soaring across the skies, according to BirdGuides and the Wiltshire Ornithological Society. This rare bird of prey is usually found in moorland landscapes. They are rare because of illegal killing and disturbance, and Natural England monitors their numbers closely, tags individual birds to track their whereabouts. The Siberian Chiffchaff is a rare but regular visitor to the UK, however by the time late winter arrives, it is rarely spotted. Most are found along the north and south coasts of Wales, with experts saying that just a handful are recorded inland. The hawfinch is the largest finch, but despite its size it's also the hardest to find. It's a red-listed species in the UK, with a population that may number fewer than a thousand breeding pairs, say The Wildlife Trust. Ring-necked ducks are rare visitor from North America, with around only 10 to 15 birds recorded annually in the UK. The British Trust for Ornithology say it is a 'rare, but regular, visitor from North America, with many individuals apparently re-appearing at the same site in multiple years'. Recommended reading: Gardening society to host birds of prey talk Look to the skies for rare and special birds at English Heritage sites Meet the Wiltshire couple who take their parrots out and about The Firecrest is a rare bird in the UK, though its population is slowly increasing. Compared to the Goldcrest, the Firecrest is brighter and 'cleaner' looking, with a green back, white belly, bronze 'collar' and a black and white eye-stripe. Firecrest is a rare bird in the UK. (Image: Getty Images) Caspian gulls are uncommon visitors to the UK, but their numbers are increasing. They are mostly seen in the south and east of the country, especially in the winter. Caspian gulls are uncommon visitors. (Image: Getty Images) Short-eared owls are considered rare breeding birds in the UK and are listed as Amber on the UK's Birds of Conservation Concern list. It is a ground-nesting species, in Britain favouring mixed rough grasslands and moors, though also breeding in rough grassland, marshes and coastal sand dunes. Across the UK, more than 600,000 people took part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch last year, with a whopping 9.7 million birds counted.
