Illegal tobacco seized: Last week we carried out raids at three premises in Lowestoft. With help from specially trained tobacco dogs from Wagtail UK Limited we seized illegal tobacco and illegal vapes from two of the stores. Sniffer dogs Louis and Skye uncovered hundreds of packets of illegal cigarettes, hand rolling tobacco and vapes which had been carefully concealed. In total 8180 cigarettes (409 packets), 6.25 kilograms of hand rolling tobacco and 82 vapes were seized by Trading Standards. This operation took place as part of Operation CeCe which is a joint initiative between National Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as part of a wider government strategy to disrupt every aspect of the illegal tobacco market. The vapes seized at both stores did not meet the legal requirements and all the tobacco products are suspected to be illegally imported into the UK, without duty being paid and do not comply with the legal packaging and labelling requirements. Several of the tobacco products are also suspected to be counterfeits of popular brands. The seized products will now be fully assessed as part of the investigations to determine the exact offences that have been committed, and the action that will be taken. You can report the sale of illegal tobacco to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Cold calling: Reports received of a man cold calling door to door in Elmsett and Hadleigh, offering plants and teak garden furniture for sale. These individuals often visit Suffolk and use the same sales patter - “last one”, “great price” "ex-exhibition stock" etc, because they have not been able to sell them at the usual Garden Shows. This time they are also stating that they have stock left over from a film shoot.
Our advice is don't buy at the door! If approached report to us via 0808 223 1133. When reporting doorstep incidents, please try to supply key information such as the description of the individual and their vehicle, including the make, model and vehicle registration if seen. To receive a no cold calling sticker, please email us with your address on tradingstandards@suffolk.gov.uk
Urgent Allergy Alert. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) are advising people who have a peanut allergy to avoid consuming foods or drinks that contain or may contain mustard, mustard powder or mustard flour. These mustard ingredients can be found in food such as dips, sauces, salads and pre-packed sandwiches. The FSA is urgently working with the relevant Local Authorities, individual businesses and industry to identify which products may be affected. The FSA have traced the contaminated mustard ingredients to a producer in India and have identified one company who has supplied these ingredients for use in UK food. As a precaution, we are advising consumers who have an allergy to peanuts to avoid consuming any foods or drinks that contain or may contain mustard. If mustard is present in a food, it will be labelled in bold on the packet because it is an allergen itself. If there is a risk that mustard could be unintentionally present in food there will be a ‘may contain’ label for mustard. If you are eating out, please ask the cafe or restaurant staff if any of their products contain mustard – by law, food businesses must provide this information to customers. A full list of recalled products can be found in the updated alert notice. https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-aa-42-2024-update-6
Scam Jobseekers Allowance text messages lead to a fake but very convincing copy of the official government website, complete with accurate logos, branding and font. The page asks you confirm your personal and bank account information within 24 hours to claim Jobseeker's Allowance. Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to 7726 (it's free of charge).
Small businesses beware! As we enter the Christmas Craft Market season, we are seeing fake Craft Fair adverts popping up all over the local Facebook community groups. The posts advertise a fictional craft fayre, fair or similar event which claims to be held at a local hall. The organiser calls out for stall holders to sign up and pay a sum of money to them. In reality there is no event and the fraudster is hoping people will send them a stall holders pitch fee.
Scam craft fair red flags
Venue is not tagged in post.
Requests people to send a private message.
Requests a "friends and family" payment via PayPal.
No event advertised on the venue's page.
Please do your homework before booking into any events and make sure the person advertising such events is a genuine organiser. Call the venue first and double check the event, before parting with any money. If people spot an advert on social media and think it may be a scam, please report it to the admin of the social media page that you see them on so that they can be removed straight away.
Bird keepers in England & Wales must register by 1 October 2024. Complete the online registration: www.gov.uk/poultry-registration
Product recall for Pifco 2KW Convector Heater with Turbo and Timer sold by Home Bargains. The product presents a high risk of fire as it is supplied with an inappropriately rated fuse. Affected batches: 596131, 596133, 596140, 596141, 596147, 596148, 596149. The batch code can be found on the side of the heater, close to the control panel. Affected units were sold through Home Bargains and Quality Save stores between 1st November 2023 and 12th December 2023. Owners of affected products should stop using the product immediately and remove it from the main power supply. Please return the heater to your local Home Bargains and Quality Save store for a full refund.