Latest news with #TradingStandards
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Illegal cigarettes and vapes worth £100k seized in Preston
More than £100,000 worth of illegal cigarettes and vapes have been seized as part of an operation to tackle serious and organised Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs officers raided five storage units around the Ribbleton and Deepdale areas of Preston, one of the units, illegal vapes worth about £5,000 were seized, in another, 171,000 packs of illegal cigarettes were found, which, if sold as genuine, would be worth about £100,000, Lancashire Police force said the cigarettes and vapes could "contain harmful chemicals" which could lead to people becoming "very unwell". Insp Dave Byrne said it was a "successful operation" which had meant the items were "taken off the streets and are no longer at risk of getting into the hands of children"."We have unfortunately seen cases where people have become very unwell, sometimes even hospitalised, due to the use of illegal vapes so we will continue to work with our partners to ensure they are not able to cause harm," he Roberts of Lancashire County Council, said: "It is very important that we take the strongest possible action against firms who put the health of Lancashire's residents at risk." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
West Lothian Council's Trading Standards team reissue warning over Labubu dolls
Trading Standards have seized further counterfeit Popmart Labubu dolls from stores in West Lothian with all of them failing to comply with the Toys Safety Regulations 2011 and presenting a serious risk of harm. West Lothian Councils Trading Standards have issued a further warning customers to take care when buying the latest craze of Labubu dolls. Trading Standards have seized further counterfeit Popmart Labubu dolls from stores in West Lothian with all of them failing to comply with the Toys Safety Regulations 2011 and presenting a serious risk of harm. Product Safety Notices for a product recall have been issued to all traders that have been identified as selling these unsafe Labubu dolls. A council spokesperson said: 'Product Safety Notices for a product recall have been issued to all traders that have been identified as selling these unsafe Labubu dolls. 'If you or your child have bought one of these products from a West Lothian trader, you should return the item for a full refund or dispose of the item, as the dolls pose a serious safety risk to children due to easily detachable parts that are a chocking hazard. Trading Standards advise parents to check goods and packaging carefully. All toys should be marked with the CE or UKCA mark for safety as well as details of the UK importer. 'They are also advised to buy from reputable sellers and check the price. The genuine products are very scarce and therefore expensive. If a product is cheaper than you'd expect it's likely to be fake.' Trading Standards encourage consumers to take these simple but important steps to ensure the toys and products they purchase are safe and compliant with regulations. These include inspecting packaging carefully; buy from trusted retailers and be cautious of bargains. Extremely cheap products may not meet required safety standards. Trading Standards remains committed to protecting consumers and ensuring that only safe, compliant goods are available in the marketplace. Anyone concerned about the safety of toys they've purchased is advised to get in touch with us via Consumer Advice Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or online via their website at or West Lothian Trading Standards
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Jutyar Jelal Salah jailed for possessing illegal cigarettes
A former shopkeeper has been jailed for 22 months after being convicted of possessing more than 77,000 illegal cigarettes and 16kg (2st 5lb) of hand rolling Jelal Salah was "caught red-handed" by Trading Standards retrieving contraband cigarettes from a container, which he planned to sell via a home delivery 36-year-old owned Easy Shop on Station Street in Spalding, which, according to Lincolnshire County Council, was served with two closure orders in September 2023 and April 2024 after raids uncovered illegal was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday. Andy Wright, principal Trading Standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said following the closure of his premises Salah "persisted by selling cigarettes from his car" in Spalding town was later caught by police and Trading Standards officers retrieving illegal cigarettes from a storage container in the town centre, Mr Wright Matthew Dickinson, from Lincolnshire Police, said: "Mr Salah was given opportunities to work towards rehabilitation, but instead chose to commit further offences."This is an excellent result and demonstrates how serious the courts take this sort of offending, rightly recognising the impact on the wider community." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Shops legally selling addictive nicotine pouches to children
Parents have been warned that shops are legally selling addictive nicotine pouches to their children just weeks after single-use vapes were banned. Trading Standards officers said they had found shops displaying the pouches – often in child-friendly sweet flavours and with eye-catching packaging – in plain sight at the front of counters during visits to check they were no longer selling single-use vapes. Nicotine pouches, commonly known as 'snus', are small pouches similar in shape to teabags containing nicotine, flavourings and sweeteners. They are available in flavours similar to those of vapes including Tropical Mango, Very Berry and Cherry Ice. Trading Standards said the pouches currently 'fall between the gap' of regulation of either a tobacco or a nicotine product, meaning shops can legally sell them to a child of any age. There is increasing concern about the rising popularity of nicotine pouches among school-aged children in the UK as they can easily go undetected by teachers and parents due to their discreet placement on the gum. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill that is currently making its way through Parliament makes the sale of these nicotine products illegal to anyone under the age of 18. It will also introduce powers to restrict the use of child-appealing flavours, packaging and advertising as well as dictate where they can be placed in shops. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is calling for the bill to be moved up the Parliamentary timetable to ensure it can be swiftly implemented. CTSI lead officer for tobacco and vapes Kate Pike said: 'We are getting increasing reports from concerned parents and teachers that shops are marketing and selling nicotine pouches to children. 'It is incredibly frustrating that there is nothing we can currently do to prevent them. 'We have been asking for an age of sale on nicotine pouches for some time and were delighted when this measure was included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. 'We would urge Government to ensure the bill is prioritised in the parliamentary calendar to enable it to be finalised so we can start taking action against those who either deliberately or uncaringly risk children getting hooked on a highly addictive product.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'Our landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the sale of nicotine pouches to under-18s and stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children. 'The Bill will place nicotine pouches under the same advertising restrictions as tobacco and provides powers to regulate their nicotine limits, flavours, packaging and how they are displayed. 'It will stop the next generation from getting hooked on nicotine and put an end to the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.'
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Urgent warning over 'serious health risk' Dubai chocolate
The FSA has also issued urgent advice to any businesses who may be selling the chocolate in the UK. The warning surrounds the Neosis Schokolade Love of Dubai chocolate which contains peanuts not mentioned on the label. As a result, the FSA says it poses 'a serious risk to anyone with an allergy to peanuts'. Customers who have purchased the product and have an allergy have been urged not to eat it, while businesses are 'advised to immediately stop sales and to undertake product withdrawals'. Tuesday 15 July 2025 - Food Alert For Action: Consumers and Food Businesses who have purchased Neosis Schokolade Love of Dubai chocolate. This product contains peanut, which is not mentioned on the #Peanut The warning affects all 95g packs of the chocolate. A spokesman for the FSA said: 'This product contains peanuts making it a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to peanuts. 'We are working closely with relevant enforcement authorities to progress investigations and ensure affected products are withdrawn from the market and, where sold at retail, recalled. We are informing allergy organisations of the issue. 'Don't buy this product, and if you have bought it, don't eat it, especially if you have a peanut allergy. 'Dispose of the product at home and get in touch with your local Trading Standards in Great Britain or Environmental Health Officers in Northern Ireland, to let them know where you purchased it. 'Food businesses selling Neosis Schokolade Love of Dubai chocolate in the UK, manufactured by NEOSIS, Gida ve Unlu Mam Ltd, are advised to immediately stop sales and to undertake product withdrawals, and where there have been retail sales, to undertake product recalls. 'This is because the product presents a serious risk to anyone with an allergy to peanuts. 'Businesses have been supplied these products by a company called Black Sea Trading Ltd, who have so far been uncontactable. 'As a result, food safety action is required by the food businesses selling these products.' If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). The FSA issues Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a 'Food Alert for Action' is issued. This provides local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.
