Boxes of suspected counterfeit e-cigarettes were seized from a concealed storage space above a ceiling at a Maidstone business as part of a nationwide crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade. The contraband was recovered at the premises in Knightrider Street on Wednesday (19 January 2022) during a joint operation involving police and Kent County Council…
Kent food businesses are being urged to get support now to comply with allergy labelling laws after spot checks by Kent County Council’s (KCC) Trading Standards revealed new rules are not always being followed. Under Natasha’s Law, which came into force on 1 October 2021, food that is pre-packaged on the same premises it is…
Kent County Council Trading Standards, supported by Kent Police, swooped on Swanley Market in a crackdown on the sale of counterfeit goods. A joint enforcement team of 17 officers targeted several stalls following reports that fake products were being sold. Items seized, including adult and children’s clothing, bags, hats, sunglasses, belts and watches, filled 168…
A major upgrade of Kent’s continental border is needed to keep the UK’s vital supply and travel routes flowing. An innovative, long-term programme to create future-ready, and future-proofed, smart borders in Kent would also act as a catalyst for regeneration in the east of the county – helping to unlock jobs and housing, attract business…
Kent Trading Standards is urging the county’s shoppers to shop safely online ahead of the festive break. More than 28,000 customers were conned out of their money while internet shopping last Christmas, losing £15.4 million to copies of legitimate websites, or completely fictional ones, say Action Fraud. Around £4 billion is also lost to the…
Bird keepers are now legally required to keep their flocks and pet birds indoors as government steps up efforts to limit the spread of Avian Influenza. Commonly known as bird flu, the disease circulates naturally in wild birds so when they migrate to the UK in winter they can pass the disease on to poultry…
Residents and visitors are being reminded to report, and not to touch or pick up, dead or sick birds they find while out and about enjoying Kent’s great outdoors. All bird keepers are also legally required to follow strict housekeeping measures to help protect their flocks. The call to follow Defra guidance comes after a number…
Fireworks season is well underway and Kent County Council’s Trading Standards Team is busy helping to keep communities safe. As well as checking and advising retailers on selling and storing fireworks safely, Trading Standards officers also respond to reports of people selling fireworks illegally, most often from private homes, the backs of vans or anonymously…
Nearly 35,000 illegal cigarettes have been seized by KCC Trading Standards officers in a series of visits to shops in Maidstone as part of Operation CeCe, a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC. Kent Police Community Safety Unit and Maidstone Borough Council’s Community Protection Team supported the initiative across two days of action.…
A Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) has been launched in Deal to highlight the risks of underage drinking and improve the health and wellbeing of local young people. CAPs are made up of partnerships between local authorities, police, schools, retailers, neighbourhood groups and health providers, working together to prevent alcohol-related harm to young people and improve…
As part of Operation CeCe – a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC to tackle illegal tobacco – KCC Trading Standards officers, with the support of Kent Police and immigration teams, have targeted illicit tobacco sellers in Margate and Ramsgate. Premises previously identified as selling illicit tobacco were revisited this week, resulting in…
KCC Trading Standards officers, with the support of Kent Police and immigrations teams, targeted illicit tobacco sellers in Margate, Ramsgate and Folkestone in a week-long intelligence-led operation. A total of 21 premises were visited, resulting in more than 6,000 packets of cigarettes and rolling tobacco being seized, together with £4,000 cash, and eight shops were…