Latest trading standards actions

Two brothers who were openly storing fireworks next to an electric heater in their shop were handed down conditional sentences and ordered to pay £400 costs each at Blackfriars Crown Court.

During a spot check, trading standards found over 70kg of the explosives were not being stored safely and immediately removed them from premises on the Walworth Road in October 2009.

Prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act was deemed appropriate due to the extremely dangerous way the fireworks were being stored which could have put staff, customers and fire fighters at risk.

Originally the brothers denied the charges, but a last minute change of plea saw them sentenced to a conditional discharge for a period of 6 months. Costs were awarded against each defendant in the sum of £400. The shop has since changed hands.

Counterfeit Olympic merchandise seized

Fake lighters and badges sporting the Olympic rings and London 2012 branding were confiscated during a visit to a phone accessory and souvenir shop. This is the first seizure in Southwark relating to Olympic merchandise.

Officers discovered the items, offered at nearly £9, alongside genuine tourist mementos and gifts in a shop near London Bridge Station. The sale of genuine 2012 merchandise makes a significant contribution to the funding of the games so it is imperative that the sale of fake merchandise is prevented.

Counterfeit goods seized in joint operation

156 counterfeit items, including watches, shoes and belts, were seized from two premises in Peckham in a multi-agency crack down on Rye Lane.

Over 20 premises were visited during a jointly planned day of action which also unearthed benefit fraudsters and immigration overstayers.

The team included officers from trading standards; antisocial beahaviour unit; licensing; fraud; health and safety; community wardens; parking; cleansing and food safety. They were joined by the police's safer neighbourhood officers and London Fire Brigade. 

February 2012

Rye Lane trader given suspended prison sentence

Wayne Tuitt (30), of Clapton, who traded as Urban Collections from the Sky Shopping City Market in Rye Lane, Peckham, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for two years at Woowich Crown Court.

The Court heard how he had twice being caught supplying counterfeit New Era baseball caps and other fake branded clothing in raids at his outlet in March and August 2010. Over 1,000 items worth approximately £12,000 were seized.

Mr Tuitt, who had pleaded guilty to trade mark offences, was also given a community order of 200 hours unpaid work to be completed within 12 months. 

Camberwell shop given tobacco sales ban for selling cigarettes to children

A District Judge at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court issued a four-month long tobacco sale ban on Presco Food & Wine at 133-135 Southampton Way, London SE5. The ban was imposed due to repeated sales of cigarettes to children from the premises.

The court heard how the council's trading standards team had provided free training to the business on due diligence following an underage sale detected in a test purchasing operation in October 2010.

Further test purchasing in February and April 2011 resulted in two more underage sales for which the owner Shoukat Ali Khan was convicted in September 2011. He was fined £175 for each offence and ordered to pay £1,473 in costs and the £15 victims surcharge

The judge said there had been "a blatant flouting of the legislation and a high level of willingness not to comply with the law." 

It is believed to be only the second time that a shop in London has been given a complete ban on selling any tobacco products. The first was also in Southwark. In December 2011 Southwark secured a six-month tobacco sale ban on Dulwich Supermarket at 18 Lordship Lane, SE22 for repeatedly selling cigarettes to children.

January 2012

Fake GHD seller ordered to pay £107,489 confiscation order

Following a two year long trading standards led investigation a recorder at the Inner London Crown Court ordered Ms Caroline Eruohwo-Adogbeji to pay a £107,489 Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation order.

Ms Eruohwo-Adogbeji (33) had pleaded guilty to Trade Marks Offences in June last year for selling counterfeit GHD hair straighteners on eBay but the investigation indicated that she was also involved in a sophisticated credit card fraud scam. This was detected by forensic analysis of laptops seized during the initial raid on her flat in the Old Kent Road.

The court also heard a contempt of court charge relating to the defendant breaching a restraint order imposed against her to prevent dissipation of assets.

The defendant pleaded guilty to failing to declare two bank accounts and was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years. A contribution towards costs of £5,000 was also ordered. She was also ordered to pay £411 compensation to those who bought the fake and potentially lethal, straighteners.

The default sentence for non-payment was set as 2 years imprisonment. The Council will receive in the region of £40,000 from the order as a Home Office incentivisation payment.

East Street pub raided in partnership operation

Trading Standards assisted at a Police led raid at the Good Intent pub in East Street SE17. 

Two associated residential addresses in Walworth and Bromley were also raided by Police who seized over £33,000 in cash, an imitation hand gun. Six people were arrested for theft and related offences.

Trading Standards seized over 6,000 cigarettes at the premsies for non-UK labelling offences as well as pirated DVDs. 

The pub was issued with a closure notice due to breaches of it's licence, but has since re-opened. Offences are being investigated by trading standards and Southwark's licensing team as well as Southwark's priority crime unit

East Street trader pleads guilty to offences

Michael Missing (68), of Ingatestone, Essex, pleaded guilty to trade mark offences in respect of the supply of counterfeit clothing items from his East Street Market stall. 

Camberwell Green Magistrates heard that in October 2010 trading standards officers had seized over 100 polo shirts bearing the trade marks of Ralph Lauren, and other brands, from Mr Missing's stall. The goods were subsequently found to be counterfeit.

Sentencing for the Trade Marks offences was adjourned pending a confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act.