Five prosecuted for selling vapes to minors, illegal tobacco and vapes as Norfolk County Council Trading Standards teams crack down on illegal and dangerous goods

Trading Standards officials have been working to stop illegal and dangerous goods from being sold across Norfolk.

Some five traders have been prosecuted thanks to Norfolk County Council’s eight investigations into the sale of vapes to under-18s, counterfeit and illegal tobacco, and rogue tradespeople.

It came as part of the authority’s push to keep consumers safe across the area.

District and borough councils and the police have been collaborating with the team to address the problem, obtaining closure orders from the courts where traders persist in selling the vapes or selling to minors.

The crackdown targeted a range of products, such as lithium-ion batteries and chargers sold on the internet, which resulted in 1,813 items being removed from an online marketplace.

More than half of the items that were test-purchased created a risk of electric shock, fire or explosion.

“Whether it’s getting counterfeit vapes removed from sale, tackling unsafe electricals which can increase fire risk or ensuring pubs are serving full measures, the work of our Trading Standards officers over the last year has made a real difference to public safety both in Norfolk and beyond,” said chief fire officer Ceri Sumner.

Other items removed from sale included unroadworthy cars and children’s toys which failed safety checks.

Investments have also been made back into the work of Trading Standards team, from income that was generated through the calibration of more than 25,000 pieces of equipment and verified weighing and measuring instruments for businesses.

Meanwhile, more ‘no cold calling zones’ are now in place to protect people from fraud, scams and rogue traders, and the trusted trader scheme has continued so that Norfolk’s residents can find reliable and trustworthy tradespeople, supporting the local economy to add revenue of £555k between April and December 2024.

Restaurants have also been part of the push after a sampling project went ahead to make sure they are correctly following allergen procedures.

In recent months, the team has dealt with animal disease outbreaks such as the blue tongue virus and avian flu and worked closely with a range of partners, including colleagues in Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.

Increased collaboration over the last two years has seen investigators and Trading Standards officers identify products which have caused house fires and drive forward work to get them removed from sale.

They have also partnered on battery safety and electric blanket safety sessions for the public, and the joint work was highlighted as a shining example of safety collaboration by the Office of Product Safety and Standards.

Due to a national shortage of qualified Trading Standards officers, apprentices have been recruited in two cohorts over recent years to ensure that Norfolk will continue to have experts in the future.

Trading Standards wants to build on this work and has submitted its service plan for approval by Norfolk County Council’s cabinet.

It highlights the key areas for the year ahead, focusing on:

- Responding to business and consumer vulnerabilities

- Environmental protection, ensuring businesses are supported to comply with new green legislative requirements, and the service operates in a manner to support the council’s net-zero ambitions

- Investment in workforce to develop a resilient service able to respond to the changing legal landscape

- Development of the council’s response to the Food Standards Agency’s new food standards delivery model

- Continued integration with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service to realise improved services for businesses and communities and in-house efficiencies

- Progression of commercial services and chargeable activities,s which will increase income through calibration and business advice functions

It is hoped that through this, and in combination with the relocation of the council’s calibration centre, it will reduce the reliance on grant funding and increase calibration business and efficiency.