From the editor-in-chief Keeping it real Eleni Chalkidou Editor-in-chief elenic@tsi.org.uk Determined to aim for the stars in 2018? All your new years resolutions in place? I learned that the trouble with an untold number of resolutions is that they are bound to pile up and are destined to weigh me down like a sack of rocks on my back. Instead, I am going to keep it real and focus my energy on just one thing: pushing out our key messages. Last year wasnt easy. History will not forget the cowardly terrorist atrocities, the snap General Election, the turbulence of Brexit and, of course, the Grenfell tragedy. But we have to look ahead, because fraudsters are still at large and dangerous products continue to hit the market. Consumer protection remains our priority. Christmas is over; theres work to be done. Kicking off the new year, we take a look at a scam thats targeting younger men to the tune of 18m in the first half of 2017 alone. With the number falling victim to binary options fraud rising at an alarming rate, City of London Trading Standards Steve Playle gives us the inside story on tackling thefraudsters. Were also re-running an article on two particularly nasty cowboy builders who lost their appeal against their sentences in December. During their original sentencing, the judge described their antics as an insult to cowboys. The pair targeted elderly and vulnerable people with blatant disregard for their wellbeing. Meanwhile, lead officers Martin Fisher and Brandon Cook tackle consumer protection in the lettings market and new legislation on dangerous weapons respectively, on our Consultations pages. In this edition, we also take a look at protecting intellectual property in an online world. In a landmark ruling against Dubai-based airline Emirates, the Court of Appeal confirmed that non-EU airlines do not get special treatment when it comes to compensation. Such regulatory protection will probably be another point of discussion for CTSIs Brexit Think Tank, which holds its second meeting later this month. Reciprocal relationships with EU bodies remain a key concern after the last meeting, and I for one am eager to hear more from our Brexperts. Away from the pages, were busy analysing the results of our Workforce Survey, within which is the average per-head spend on trading standards services across the UK. The survey offers a clearer picture than ever before of the pressures on the profession. With everything that happened in 2017, and with so many changes on the horizon, one can only wonder what this year will bring. I guess well have to be ready for anything. For now, Id like to wish you all a happy and prosperous new year. Thanks for reading.