News ASAs record six months for ad withdrawals The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) secured the amendment or withdrawal of 3,034 adverts between January and June 2017 up 88 per cent compared with the first half of 2016, itself a record year. Misleading adverts continue to prompt the most complaints (62per cent) and represent the bulk of the ASAs workload. Despite the rise in adverts being amended or withdrawn, the number of complaints is down on last year, when one Moneysupermarket advert caused more than 1,000 complaints alone. In the first six months of 2017, the ASA received 13,131 complaints about 9,486 adverts 19.8 per cent fewer than in the same period in 2016. TV advertising received the most criticism, with 5,127 complaints about 2,272 adverts. Complaints about online adverts followed a close second, with 4,062. The majority of complaints about TV adverts are on the grounds of offence (3,439), rather than misleading claims (1,677), while the majority of online adverts concern misleading claims (3,673), rather than harm and offence (360). The ASA said these trends are explained by the differences in audience size and viewing habits for the two media, as well as the pre-clearance checks in place for TV. A large proportion of potentially misleading claims in TV adverts are stopped before they are broadcast; instead, subjective issues relating to harm or offence often prompt complaints from large audience groups. With online adverts, complaints tend to be submitted by individuals drawn from smaller audiences and are more likely to concern truthfulness and fairness. ASA chief executive Guy Parker said: Were spending more time online, but the mass audience of TV adverts means they continue to generate the most complaints. Online adverts account for the greatest number of individual cases, with the majority being companies own advertising claims on their own websites and social media spaces. Whatever the issue and whatever the medium, we should be able to trust the adverts we see and hear. Animal farm horror couple convicted A couple who kept pigs and sheep in horrific conditions at their East Sussex farm have been handed suspended jail terms. Dr John Penn and Teresa Penn were also banned from keeping farm animals for 10 years, at Brighton Magistrates Court on 25 September. Conditions at the farm in Piddinghoe were horrendous; officers found pigs feeding on the flesh of dead pigs that had been left amid debris-strewn areas of the farm. More than 20 pigs had to be culled after being left without adequate food, water and shelter. Richard Strawson, East Sussex Trading Standards team manager, said: These were some of the most horrific conditions weve ever experienced. The couple admitted 12 offences under animal welfare legislation and were each given three 18-month jail sentences, suspended for 12 months and to be served concurrently. They were each ordered to pay court costs of 1,157 and a 115 victim surcharge. Cosmetic business fined 25,000 over illegal skin-lighteners haul A Southwark Council sting and surveillance operation has uncovered a haul of 3,000 illegal skin-lightening products, one of which was found to contain more than 20 per cent of the banned ingredient hydroquinone believed to be the highest concentration ever found by trading standards in such products. Tanveer Ahmed from East Ham sole director of Zara Hair and Cosmetics pleaded guilty to offences of breaching EU cosmetics safety laws, by supplying skin-lighteners containing hydroquinone. The organic compound affects pigment production in the skin, and is banned in cosmetic skin-lighteners throughout the EU, because of its dangerous long-term health effects. In June 2016, an undercover test purchase of Caro White Lightening Beauty Cream had been carried out at Zara Hair and Cosmetics. The product was collected from somewhere outside the shop and sold on an under the counter basis. Analysis showed it contained 4.3 per cent hydroquinone. A further test purchase was conducted in April 2017, but this time officers were carrying out surveillance and watched as a member of staff went to Ahmeds van to get the goods. Ahmeds van and home were searched in July, and trading standards officers seized nearly 3,000 illegal skin-lightening products Ahmed was fined a total of 13,000 and ordered to pay costs, including a victim surcharge, of 12,287 at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court in September. His company was fined 300 for the same offences. Councillor Barrie Hargrove, Southwark cabinet member for communities and safety, said: This result is a good outcome for our outstanding trading standards team and for customer safety. It sends a clear message to other traders that we will investigate and prosecute those who put customers in danger. Between 2002 and 2016, Southwark successfully prosecuted 19 local cosmetic suppliers for supplying dangerous and illegal skin-lightening products. Total fines and costs have amounted to around 394,000, with two suspended prison sentences. Suspended sentence for fake lippy seller A man who sold fake MAC lipstick that contained more than 300 times the legal amount of lead has been prosecuted by Plymouth Trading Standards. The fake lippy was one of a number of counterfeit goods sold by Paul Lamerton from Modbury on eBay and Facebook. Officers received intelligence that the fake goods were being sold and raided Lamertons address in June last year. A number of fake items were seized, including lipsticks and mascaras. The products were found to contain dangerously high levels of lead. The worst was a fake MAC lipstick that contained 3702mg/kg: the permitted limit is 10mg/kg. Lamerton pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates Court to seven offences committed between 2012 and 2016. In October, he was sentenced to a total of six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to pay 400 costs and a 115 victim surcharge.