News Room

Helping scam victims earns Hero Award for Northern Ireland Trading Standards Enforcement Officer

Posted: 29/11/2022

Alison Gilchrist, Northern Ireland’s Lead Officer on Doorstep Crime and Scams, has received the Trading Standards Hero Award from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) for her tireless work safeguarding victims and potential victims of scams and rogue traders, resulting in savings of over £1m.

Coalition urges Government to scrap EU Bill timetable

Posted: 25/11/2022

Loss of protections across product and food safety, and tackling scams, top public and experts’ concerns.

CTSI urges shoppers to be careful what they bargain for this Black Friday

Posted: 21/11/2022

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is urging shoppers seeking to save money on Black Friday bargains to be on their guard against scams, fake reviews and potentially unsafe goods.

Shop wisely this sale season and avoid getting less than you bargained for with top tips from Citizens Advice

Posted: 14/11/2022

Council and police seize large quantity of unlicensed fireworks

Posted: 08/11/2022

Illegally stored fireworks worth between £6,000 and £10,000 were seized by North Lanarkshire Council’s Trading Standards Officers, assisted by Police Scotland, from an unlicensed premises in Wishaw on Friday.

Losing just £100 to a scam would tip 13 million into crisis

Posted: 03/11/2022

For one in four (24%) UK adults*, losing just £100 to a scam now would tip them into serious financial crisis, unable to pay bills, buy food or buy other essentials, according to research** released today by National Trading Standards (NTS). Although losing any amount of money to a scam today would hurt 70% of people more than it would have done a year ago, a loss of just £250 would tip 37% into crisis, with 48% unable to cope with a loss of £500.  

All Party Group on Smoking and Health Chairman, Bob Blackman MP, calls on government to listen to tobacco retailers

Posted: 02/11/2022

An All Party Group on Smoking and Health today heard the results of a survey today showing that the majority of tobacco retailers support existing tobacco laws and also tougher regulations in future including a levy on tobacco manufacturers to pay for measures to help smokers quit, and raising the age of sale to 21. Conservative Chairman of the APPG, Bob Blackman, has secured the first backbench debate under the new government on Thursday 3 November and plans to raise the findings of the survey in the debate.

CTSI voices concern over hurried timetable for EU Law reforms

Posted: 01/11/2022

CTSI urges rethink on timetable for Retained EU Law Bill, as “pace and scale of change is daunting”.

Rogue Traders cash in on victims as the cost-of-living crisis continues

Posted: 31/10/2022

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is issuing a warning following a rise in complaints about doorstep callers knocking on doors out of the blue and telling homeowners they may be eligible for free insulation under the Government funding scheme. The rogues then use pressure selling techniques and persuasive jargon about the energy crisis to make the householders agree to remedy works being completed and to pay upfront, with reassurances they can claim the costs back from the Government.

Cost-of-Living crisis exposing UK consumers to unprecedented risks

Posted: 21/10/2022

New research highlights increase in scams, counterfeit goods unsafe products and food fraud.

Trading Standards battling largest ever UK outbreak of Avian Flu

Posted: 18/10/2022

Experts at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) have expressed serious concern about the nation’s largest outbreak of Avian Flu ever observed.

Trading Standards sees surge in energy scams linked to cost-of-living crisis

Posted: 05/10/2022

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is issuing its starkest warning yet about a significant rise in energy scams linked to the cost-of-living crisis and increased consumer vulnerability. CTSI believes there is an urgent need for a strategy to inform, protect and warn consumers amid the crisis, especially as over 40 million people have been targeted by scammers last year, according to Citizens Advice.