News Money-laundering con artists sentenced after Enfield investigation BORK / SHUTTERSTOCK A gang of money launderers has been convicted in Eneld, London, after a vulnerable pensioner was conned out of 58,000. The three culprits were investigated by Eneld Trading Standards after an 80-year-old man was defrauded out of the cash in 2014, when he was told unnecessary work was required on his house. Christopher Sammon, 27, from Manchester, was found guilty on 9 June and sentenced to four years, for two charges of money laundering, at Wood Green Crown Court on 30 June. His sister Eileen Sammon, 29, also from Manchester, was found guilty of converting criminal property on 9 June and was sentenced to a 180-hour community order. She was placed under a four-month curfew and electronically tagged on 30 June. Their friend Jack OReilly, 27, from Dymchurch, admitted ve counts of money laundering on 9 June and was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment. Trading standards ofcers investigated after the victim was asked to pay 52,000 to cover equipment costs. Once the funds had cleared, he was asked to transfer the same sum to a different account. At this point, believing he had been conned, he alerted the council. Investigators found that the suggested work to the house was completely unnecessary and traced the money to the accounts of Eileen Sammon, OReilly and a third person, who was acquitted of any wrongdoing. In total, 17,000 was withdrawn from the accounts before they were frozen. Eneld Councils cabinet member for environment, Daniel Anderson, said: We will not tolerate condence tricksters preying on the elderly in Eneld. Our trading standards team are always watching and we will always prosecute those people who think it is acceptable to prey on the elderly and vulnerable in this manner. Retailers fake farms reported to trading standards The National Farmers Union (NFU) has complained to the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) about fake farm branding by Tesco and other retailers. It follows concerns expressed by NFU members that the use of fake farm labels can be misleading for shoppers, with many believing they are buying British produce when in fact the product could have been imported. The most recent and high-profile example of this practice being used by a major retailer was Tescos introduction of brand names such as Woodside Farms and Boswell Farms. At least three in five respondents to a YouGov survey commissioned by the NFU who believed these farm products were definitely or probably British said they would feel misled if the product came from another country. NFU president Meurig Raymond said: The NFUs legal team has looked at this carefully and, as a result, we are asking the National Trading Standards [Board] to look at whether fake farm branding complies with the relevant legal requirements. I urge all retailers to consider seriously the results of our survey, which show that mixing imported product with British product under the same fictional farm name can be misleading to many of their customers. Court case shines a light on dangerous laser pointers JANINAJAAK / SHUTTERSTOCK A trader who sold a powerful laser pointer at a school fair, resulting in damage to a childs eyesight, has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service. Lynsey McClure, 47, of Efngham, Surrey, pleaded guilty at St Albans Magistrates Court on 13 July to nine charges relating to the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. McClure, who traded as Busy Happy People, sold gifts such as wooden trains, name bracelets, toys and laser pointers, which she imported from China. At a school fair in Aldenham, Hertfordshire, in December 2015, a parent bought his child a pointer from her stall, believing it was a low-powered toy. Two days later, the child complained about problems with his vision and was taken to hospital. After a complaint to Hertfordshire Trading Standards, the laser pointer was tested and found to be far more powerful than the one milliwatt (mW) described on the packaging. When tested, the power peaked at 128mW. A power rating of this magnitude puts the pointer in Class 3B of laser products. The Health Protection Agency advises that such products should not be sold to the general public, as any radiant power above 20mW has the potential to cause eye damage in less than 0.25 seconds. If they are sold, they should come with a range of control measures, such as protective housing, a remote interlock and appropriate warnings and information none of which were provided. During interview, McClure said that she had asked her supplier to ensure that the products were UK compliant and claimed that she had taken every precaution as an importer to ensure the safety of the products. In mitigation, the court heard that she was very sorry, that she had immediately stopped selling the product when notied, and that she had fully cooperated with Hertfordshire Trading Standards. Magistrates said they took the offences very seriously and had considered a prison sentence. However, McClures early plea, previous good character, remorse and lack of any intention had worked in her favour. Sniffer dog success costs rogue trader thousands An operation that targeted shops selling illicit tobacco has left a rogue trader more than 2,600 out of pocket, thanks to sniffer dog Dusters keen nose. In November 2015, Central Bedfordshire Trading Standards took part in an operation with Bedfordshire Police, HM Revenue and Customs, and detection dog company Wagtail, which supplied Duster. They targeted five stores in Dunstable, Biggleswade and Houghton Regis that were suspected of selling illicit tobacco and other illegal products. Following Dusters find, Shaha Malik, of Dunstable, pleaded guilty to three offences relating to the sale of illicit tobacco when he appeared at Luton Magistrates Court on 5 July. He was sentenced to fines totalling 1,025, and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of 44, as well as costs to the council of 1,585.85. The court also granted the councils application to remove and destroy all of the seized goods.