Noticeboard I stock.com / tomloEl your letters Fruitless comparisons or a symptom of errant justice? Dear colleagues, I became aware of the first two trading standards cases mentioned below some time ago, but was persuaded to write this letter after finding out about the third in May this year. Case 1: Trader Edward Grey was fined 200 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for misusing East Lothian Councils Trusted Trader logo on his paperwork and vehicle. Grey quite correctly paid a price for attempting to mislead potential customers into thinking he was a member of a scheme that is aimed at giving the public confidence when choosing companies to carry out work for them. gOt aN OPINION? We want to hear it. Email tstoday@ tsi.org.uk to add your voice to the discussion. We reserve the right to edit letters. Case 2: Trader Thomas Henderson was selling counterfeit car seatbelt harnesses that when tested were found to fail at 30mph and could result in potential fatalities. Henderson bought the offending articles from a Chinese supplier for the equivalent of 13 and sold them via theinternet for 50-100. The recommended price for the genuine article is about 150. Having spent 5,000 on testing to prove how lethal the products could be, my East Lothian colleagues must have hoped for a result. A plea bargain dealt with by the same crown office and procurator fiscal service as the first case resulted in only one safety charge being proffered and accepted by the accused, and he was admonished! Far be it for me with only 42 years experience in trading standards to criticise the court, but are our cases seen as too technical, or are the prosecution agencies too poor or too stretched, to get justice for our communities? Case 3: I was reminded of the above imbalances when I read, on 11 May, that Finbar Hannaford had been found guilty of selling counterfeit seatbelts harnesses the same ones supplied by the aforementioned Henderson and was jailed for 18 months, suspendedfor two years. He was also ordered to do 150 hours community service and pay 1,000 in costs. I am not advocating that traders such as Grey, who intentionally mislead the public, should be judged more leniently although he was dealt with leniently but the community is being short-changed by a system in which a rogue seller of unsafe goods, which could result in catastrophic failure, is admonished because he pleads poverty. I am sure the streets of East Lothian could have done with some community service by Henderson perhaps we could claim some costs, too! I am sure we could all point to similar circumstances in our own courts, and each case should be judged on its merits. But I know from recent experiences in my office that the crown dithers over proceedings when the legislation is new to them, and it invariably drags things out much to the detriment of our citizens and very much to the benefit of the guilty parties. Time I left, before I become overly cynical. Peter Fergie (soon to retire) CTSI roots and branches strong and supportive Dear colleagues On 26 April, the Yorkshire and Humber Branch held its spring meeting at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park a truly wonderful venue. More than 73 members attended and actively engaged in the interesting days agenda. This included presentations from: the North Yorkshire Police Identification Unit on how trading standards can make the best use ofID procedures; Professor Keith Brown, from Bournemouth University, on the impact of doorstep crime on victims; and Jennifer West, from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), on the CMAs online review work. On 27 April, the North West Branch held its spring meeting at the Geoffrey Manton Building, All Saints Campus, Manchester. The organisation of the day was first class and it was obvious that the branch has very lively, energetic and enthusiastic members. On the agenda was an update on food law from Dragons Den star and entrepreneur Eamonn Quinn, institute news from CTSI chair Sara Barry, and training on the effective use of pocket notebooks. It was clear from these branch meetings that members are actively engaged in current issues, and that they contribute to the CTSI agenda, with interesting and lively debates raising many matters for the CTSI board to consider. Raffles were held at both meetings to raise money for the College ofFellows, which relies on donations to fund its charitable, welfare and educational activities on behalf of CTSI members. In place for more than 100 years and spanning three centuries the area branches of CTSI have always operated most effectively, and the current branches continue to uphold this long-established tradition. If you want to get up-to-date information, gain CPPD hours,and help to influence the direction of CTSI, please attend your branch meetings. Be strong and supportive you can make a difference! Robert Grice New tobacco and e-cigarette laws come into effect which can be sold until 2020 are prohibited, and health warnings must cover at least 65 per cent of the pack. Descriptions such as lite and natural are also banned. The new laws concerning electronic cigarettes include: a size limit for e-liquids; a requirement for health warnings to cover 30 per cent of the pack; and all substances to be listed on the label. Local trading standards officers will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. A person who produces or supplies a tobacco product in breach of the regulations could face a prison sentence of up to two years, or a fine, or both. Istock.com / NorthErNstock Trading standards departments across the UK have been reminding retailers about new laws concerning tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, and the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015, came into effect on 20 May 2017. Retailers have had one year to get rid of old stock and must now only sell cigarettes and tobacco in standardised green packaging. Smaller units are no longer allowed to be sold; packets must contain at least 20 cigarettes and handrolling tobacco packs must weigh at least 30 grams. Flavoured cigarettes and tobacco except menthol, Huge rise in support for Consumer Codes Approval Scheme The number of CTSI-approved Codes of Practice sponsors has risen by 84 per cent in the past two years, while 11,000 new businesses 25 per cent of the current membership have joined the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) during the past 12 months, according to the latest CCAS annual report, published last month. Since CTSI took over the CCAS from the governments Office of Fair Trading in 2014, the number of businesses under the scheme has grown to 42,000. CCAS aims to promote consumer interests by setting out the principles of effective customer service and protection, going above and beyond consumer law obligations. Surveys by CTSI have revealed that 1.6m of compensation has been paid out under the scheme, and there is a 92 per cent customer satisfaction rate. CCAS is a growing group of sector-specific consumer codes from across the economic spectrum each sponsored by an industry body and vetted by CTSI. New codes sponsors in 2016 included RAC Approved Garages, International Construction Warranties, The Motor Ombudsman and The Glass and Glazing Federation. Consumers can find trusted and reliable traders by using theConsumer Codes Approval Directory, which offers them a clear indication of whether a business has earned the right to display the CTSI Approved Code logo. The scheme differs from other peer-review sites because those trading under it have made a public pledge to go above and beyond consumer law. This includes Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) engagement, which allows customers to assert their rights without the expense of going to court. Adrian Simpson, CTSIs consumer codes and business education expert, said: The results in this report speak volumes. They show increased consumer confidence in finding trustworthy traders, but alsohighlight the benefit to businesses as they set themselves apart from the competition by offering a higher standard of protection.