Overview

By Fakir Osman, Assistant Director of Regulatory Services

It has been another busy year for the Service with a noticeable increase in complaints and enquires.

To make best use of our resources we focused on four priority areas:

• Doorstep crime and rogue trading
• Illicit tobacco and vapes
• Food allergens and standards
• Animal health and welfare, including disease control.

Our work tackling doorstep crime and rogue trading helped save consumers more than £249,000. The most common complaints related to roofing and building work, and used car sales, with successful enforcement action taken against offending traders.

Officers worked closely with partner agencies on a number of warrants and interventions targeting illicit tobacco and vape sales. This resulted in the seizure of more than one million illicit cigarettes, 315.6kg of hand-rolling tobacco and 5,825 illegal vapes. Many of the businesses involved have links with organised crime groups, and we continue to develop innovative approaches with partners to disrupt this illegal trade.

We continued our food allergens programme, procuring 85 samples from independent businesses. Businesses whose samples failed testing will be revisited to help ensure compliance and consumer safety.

In our rural work, alongside investigations, our officers completed all target Critical Control Point visits and agriculture inspections, helping to maintain the integrity of the farm-to-fork chain. In addition, the team worked with other agencies to manage animal disease outbreaks and provided advice and assistance to farming businesses.

Protecting consumers from harm remains at the heart of our work. This year we worked on a range of product safety interventions and recalls, including children’s toys, buoyancy aids and household products. We also continued to support scam victims and raise awareness to help residents stay safe from fraud.

As well as this, our officers deliver a wide range of services, including business advice, metrology services and training, safety at sports grounds, and explosives and petroleum licensing, all of which contribute to protecting consumers and businesses across the region.

We are proud of these achievements but continue to face challenges including budget pressures and an ageing workforce.

The year in numbers

• Complaints received and assessed: 13,294
• Complaints allocated to officers: 2,463
• Business advice requests answered: 349
• Other agency requests answered: 392
• Inspections completed: 1,310
• Alternative enforcement actions: 99
• Licences issued: 188
• Formal actions: 29

The Service operates from six offices. These are in Plymouth, Torbay, Newton Abbot, Exeter, Barnstaple and Wellington.

Supporting the local economy

Rural business surveillance and support

We completed our target of 195 Critical Control Point visits across livestock markets, collection centres, abattoirs and hauliers. Our officers continue to have a high level of presence at markets, offering advice and guidance where appropriate and we continue to monitor biosecurity procedures at animal gatherings to reduce the likelihood of animal diseases spreading.

We worked with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and other agencies to help manage and contain outbreaks of Avian Influenza in kept birds.

In June 2025, a family of livestock and dairy farmers were banned from keeping cattle, sheep and pigs for 10 years, and each ordered to pay more than £3,000 in costs for causing suffering to animals in their care following an investigation by our service. Farming family banned from keeping animals for 10 years.

In October 2025, together with the Environment Agency we prosecuted a Devon farmer for allowing appalling animal welfare and environmental conditions to persist at his farm. Honiton farmer prosecuted for pollution and animal welfare offences.

We took our Farming Support Hub stand to a number of agricultural stores and shows across Devon and Somerset this year. On all occasions, the team spoke to the farming community, answered any questions they had and signposted them to further support to help them and their farming business.

Other work included:

• Animal welfare visits and inspections.
• Animal by-products investigations.
• Dealing with non-compliances at livestock markets and in livestock transport.
• Partnership working with several other agencies such as APHA, Rural Payments Agency and the Police (Devon & Cornwall Police in Devon and Avon & Somerset Police in Somerset), and developing new working relationships.

High to low priority premises interventions

Each year we carry out a risked-based, intelligence-led assessment of premises on our database identifying those which are high priority. We aim to visit 100% of these premises. This year we completed 100% of our food business interventions, non-food manufacturers interventions, firework inspections and petroleum inspections.​​

Paid-for business support

Buy With Confidence (BWC) and Made in Devon

This year the number of BWC and Made in Devon businesses in our region fell from 244 to 219. While we have seen some member losses due to business closures and the ongoing cost of living crisis, we remain optimistic about the future. Application numbers have increased, reflecting growing interest in the scheme and continued demand from consumers for trusted, Trading Standards Approved businesses.

We actively promoted the scheme through events, industry engagement and online advertising. For example, in the run-up to Christmas we delivered an online campaign across Facebook and Instagram promoting the scheme. This campaign had national coverage, including across the Heart of the South West area.

Primary Authority

This year we entered into three new Trading Standards Primary Authority partnerships, with a particular focus on supporting food businesses. We also agreed a further provision for a managed Environmental Health Primary Authority partnership with a neighbouring district council.

A lead Trading Standards Officer works with a business, supported by a second Officer, providing guidance on Trading Standards issues ranging from dealing with product recalls and complaints to advising on existing and new product safety and labelling.

PA work this year included:

• Product safety issues and recalls
• Advising businesses on a range of Trading Standards topics
• Food legislation and labelling
• Allergen management training and advice
• Liaising with Environmental Health Officers
• Contributing to national groups
• Helping to release goods at ports.

Calibration Services

This year our metrology lab generated an income of over £68,000.

The lab successfully maintained its accreditation to ISO17025 with only one slight issue found.

We raised £9,000 through our metrology courses for trainees from other local authorities. This year our lab became the provider of practical and oral metrology training on behalf of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). Adding this to our already popular and award-winning portfolio training establishes the service as a training centre of excellence in the field of metrology.

Supporting and protecting the most vulnerable

Scams awareness and prevention

Raising awareness of scams to educate consumers and businesses and provide support to victims.

This year we worked to raise awareness around:

• Major scams like winter fuel payment scams Winter fuel payment scam warning and parking fine text scams Parking fine text scam warning.
• Christmas-related scams ‘Tis the season to be cautious!
• Support for scams victims
• Campaigns from Friends Against Scams, Citizens Advice, Stop Loan Sharks and other organisations

Emerging and continuing scams issues included artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, investment scams, romance scams, recruitment scams and ticketing fraud.

We continued our work to reach people in our communities who may not see our regular scams messages online. With this in mind, we published a scams awareness article in a free Plymouth magazine, distributed leaflets to libraries, raised awareness among safeguarding teams and spoke to residents at community groups and pop-up events.

We gave a talk and answered questions on scams, fraud and doorstep crime to a Devon U3A group along with the local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). We also partnered with our local PCSOs in Sidmouth, Honiton and Exmouth to run drop-in surgeries for local residents and scams education sessions.

Our scams lead officer has a regular slot on the Caroline Densley morning show on BBC Radio Devon and has also featured on Radio Somerset to highlight common scams and how to stay safe from them. She responds to listener questions and queries.

We worked with our Trading Standards services locally within Trading Standards South West to produce a toolkit for students to help avoid scams they may face in their first year away from home.

We continue to send out consumer and business newsletters which always contain articles about scams.

Cases officers dealt with included:

• Two high-level Adult Safeguarding cases regarding vulnerable people involved in romance scams. These included multi-agency meetings, carrying out visits and providing support.
• Supporting a local resident on behalf of another Trading Standards service which was prosecuting a company for fraud. The resident had invested £60,000 in the business over several years and lost £20,000.
• Working in partnership with the England Illegal Money Lending Team and the police to arrest a man and women on suspicion of illegal money lending: Two arrested on suspicion of being loan sharks in North Devon.
• Supporting a resident who lost £10,000 in a recruitment scam

Key stats:

• Number of times our Scams lead officer spoke on local radio: 6
• Scams-related social media posts: 227
• Scams-related press releases: 4
• Newsletters containing scams articles: 10

Doorstep crime and rogue traders

Officers dealt with 292 doorstep crime and rogue trader complaints, over 60% of which were roofing related. Work around doorstep crime and rogue trader incidents included enforcement work, live call outs, consumer support and raising awareness in local communities, as well as working with police, local authorities and other agencies.

Other work this year included:

• A rogue Plymouth glazier who threatened customers and delivered substandard work was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 140 hours of unpaid work. Rogue Plymouth glazier sentenced.
• A rogue builder from Exeter was jailed for 18 months and banned from trading for seven years for taking more than £59,000 in deposits for work he either didn’t start or didn’t complete. Rogue builder who preyed on the vulnerable and elderly jailed.
• Supporting another Trading Standards service with their prosecution.

Key stats:

• Refunds of £212,458.76 for consumers.
• £49,590 prevented from being handed over to doorstep criminals
• 11 cases resulted in charges being laid and subsequently proceeded through the courts

Fair trading

Officers worked on 216 fair trading complaints, 161 of which were about used cars. The most complained about used car traders were visited and provided with advice.

In October, an ‘arrogant and greedy’ former director of a company that supplied mobility aids and furniture to the elderly and vulnerable was jailed for 15 months after being prosecuted for fraud. He was also banned from being a director of a company. Former director of Mobility Furniture Company jailed for fraud.

Also in October, counterfeit items were seized from high street shops in Plymouth by police and Trading Standards officers tackling organised crime. This was part of Operation Machinize, an ongoing national operation led by the National Crime Agency. Counterfeit items seized in joint police and Trading Standards operation.

Other work tackling counterfeits included:

• Collaborative working with the police and Intellectual Property Office to investigate counterfeit perfume, clothing and footwear being sold at a car boot sale.
• Supporting another Trading Standards Service with an investigation.
• Working with police and the brand holder in the removal of counterfeit items from a shop.
• Co-ordinating the destruction and recycling of nearly 900kg of counterfeit and potentially unsafe electronics, jewellery, perfumes, shoes and clothing. Skin lightening cream and soap that contained banned or harmful substances was also destroyed.

The Service employs four Accredited Financial Investigators who are authorised by the National Crime Agency to conduct financial investigations into individuals. The powers allow them to seize cash and restrain assets.

Key stats:

• £16,440 prevented from being handed over to doorstep criminals
• Refunds of £4,224 for consumers.

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

Money seized, forfeited or confiscated during 2025-26 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002:

• Cash seized: £25,967.56
• Cash forfeited: £63,328.69
• Money frozen in bank accounts: £15,657
• Money Confiscated After Further Enquiries: £151,377.75

Safety at sports grounds

Our Safety at Sports Grounds Officers worked with other agencies and sports grounds officials at various cricket clubs, football clubs, racecourses and other sporting venues in Devon and Somerset in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of spectators.

Officers also worked with sports venues on:

• Planning for the successful Women’s Rugby World Cup matches at Sandy Park, Exeter
• General Safety Certificates and Special Safety Certificates
• Advice on safety management problems
• Site inspections
• Stewarding issues.

Key stats:

• Special Advisory Group meetings: 11
• Annual reviews of safety certificates relating to regulated venues: 8
• Event inspections carried out according to risk: 13

Food standards

Our allergen sampling focused on Indian-style curries being sold as dairy free and suitable for consumers with milk allergies. The samples were tested for the presence of milk. Officers purchased takeaway meals across Devon, Somerset and Torbay, each time declaring that they had a milk allergy and asking for a suitable meal. Businesses were selected using intelligence from Local Authority Environmental Health Officers. Of the 37 businesses sampled, 29 sold food containing milk. Trading Standards and Environmental Health Officers worked closely with the businesses to help them improve their allergen management systems. Widespread allergen failures at takeaways in Devon, Somerset and Torbay.

We also carried out formal sampling, visiting 23 premises that had previously failed allergen sampling in order to carry out re-sampling. We posed as a customer with a food allergy. Nine premises refused to provide us with food due to the risk of cross-contamination. However, of the 14 samples we did procure, eight were unsatisfactory and three were borderline. Follow-up work was carried out.

We carried out an intelligence led project checking for unauthorised novel foods and health claims on the websites of online retailers of food supplements. All websites checked were found to be non-compliant for unauthorised health claims, prohibited nutrition claims and banned references to treating and curing cancer. Approximately 750kg of unauthorised novel foods including cordyceps and turkey tail mushroom supplements and foods containing chaga were removed from the market protecting people from the risk of consuming foods where the safety of those products is unknown. Officers have been working closely with affected businesses to bring them into compliance. This work will continue in 2026-27 to review those websites. Ongoing non-compliances are the subject of enforcement action to protect consumers from being misled about the food they buy.

In the run up to Christmas, we urged consumers to check labelling on meat after a major investigation by our service revealed misleading and in some case fraudulent claims being made in local butchers and farm shops. Officers visited 16 businesses that sell meat both in store and online – nine in Devon, five in Somerset and one in Torbay – and only two were broadly compliant. Checks on websites, social media and in-store displays uncovered inaccurate or ambiguous descriptions, with some imported products wrongly marketed as ‘local’ or ‘free-range’. Officers also uncovered a range of issues with out-of-date meat, labelling errors, inadequate traceability and allergen controls. The work will continue in 2026-27 to protect consumers from being misled by false or misleading claims. Consumers encouraged to question claims made on meat products this Christmas after products fail ‘traceability checks’.

We issued a press release about a food alert on Jolly Rancher products manufactured by The Hershey Company. A number of products were found to contain Mineral Oil, making them unsafe to eat. The press release advised businesses that import the products to cease importing and distributing them. Food alert: Jolly Rancher products manufactured by The Hershey Company.

Officers also dealt with:

• Labelling issues
• Animal by-product issues
• Food traceability issues
• Organic claims
• Food being sold past its use-by or best-before date
• Contamination issues
• Preparing for the Food Standards Agency’s new Food Law Code of Practice
• Imported foods containing banned substances
• 2,154 new food business registrations.
• Working with Environmental Health to promote good food standards and allergens knowledge, for example: Information on the law and regulations when selling and producing food.

Key stats:

• High risk inspections: 111
• Number of Indian-style curries sampled for milk: 37
• Number found to be unsatisfactory: 29
• Number of websites reviewed to check for unauthorised health claims and ingredients:  10
• Number of premises checked for meat claims: 16
• Number found to be non-compliant: 16

Feed

This year, officers completed 300 funded agriculture inspections against a target of 283. 108 businesses were found to be non-compliant when visited. Extra support was provided to bring them into compliance. This included for example revisits, help with procedures, label checks and registrations. We claimed £4,500 in ‘business compliance funding’ from the Food Standards Agency.

Five pet treat samples were taken. Two were unsatisfactory for labelling and one was unsatisfactory for fat declared. Advice was given to the businesses to bring them into compliance.​

National projects included:

• Sampling of pig and poultry feed, analysing the levels of lysine and methionine (essential additives for animal growth and productivity).
• Sampling of pet treats, analysing for salmonella.
• Checking labelling of pet treats for accuracy of information provided.

Funded inspections:

• Number of funded inspections completed: 300
• Total samples taken: 8
• Percentage of samples coming back as unsatisfactory: 37.5%.

Helping people to live healthier lives by preventing harm and promoting individual health

Product safety market surveillance and sampling

Officers worked on product recalls including:

• Buoyancy aids
• Household appliances
• Children’s toys including play sand containing asbestos, which is a national issue
• A range of other products

Other work dealt with included:

• Labelling issues
• Product safety testing
• Advising businesses
• Getting unsafe items withdrawn from market
• Counterfeit products and working with brand holders
• Dealing with referrals from other trading standards services and making our own referrals
• Updating businesses on changes in legislation
• Starting work on projects that will continue into 2026-27.

Our service was one of five Trading Standards services in the South West region that took part in a market surveillance project to check compliance with regulations governing part-worn tyre sales. This followed an increase in consumer complaints regarding a number of independent garages. At all premises visited the part-worn tyres being sold were tested for overall safety. Our officers focused on tyre tread levels, signs of damage, marking of the tyres and the records kept by garages. They then gave the garages guidance on the sale of part-worn tyres. All garages visited were largely compliant and selling safe tyres, but some were put on notice and asked to improve their practices, particularly where there was a lack of marking that the tyres were part-worn.

We carried out fireworks inspections at 52 businesses. Fifteen of the 50 sites were storing explosives incorrectly, ranging from minor errors to more serious issues. Follow-up action was taken where required.

We issued a press release to warn householders to stop using certain integrated heat pump tumble dryers immediately after a national safety alert revealed a serious fire risk: Residents urged to check tumble dryers after fire risk alert.

Prior to Halloween, we issued a press release reminding families to prioritise safety when buying costumes, decorations and novelty items: Halloween safety warning.

In the run-up to Christmas we produced a social media video and press release urging shoppers to check children’s toys for safety before wrapping them up: Trading Standards urges shoppers to check toys before they buy this Christmas.

Key stats:

• High-priority firework inspections: 52
• Number of products removed from sale (value): 433,254/ £438,728
• Number of samples taken: 6
• Number of samples coming back as unsatisfactory: 3

Illicit tobacco

Each year HotSW TS officers carry out a large number of operations to tackle the importing, storing and buying and selling of illegal tobacco and vapes. In 2025/26 there were 10 named operations which were carried out together with other enforcement agencies and many additional enforcement visits which took place as a result of intelligence received.

We issued the following press releases highlighting some of our work:

• Trading Standards and police continue to stamp out the sale of illegal tobacco with more shop closures.
• Exmouth vape shops closed.
• Six more shops closed for peddling illegal tobacco and vapes.
• Exeter shop shut down after repeated attempts to flee with illegal tobacco.
• Two more shops close for illegal trade in tobacco and vapes.
• Illegal tobacco and underage vaping sales lead to shop closure in Taunton.
• Two more shops shut for selling illegal tobacco – that’s 25 since the summer.

At the start of June 2025, a ban on disposable vapes came into force. We issued a press release reminding businesses to ensure they were ready and telling them where they could find more information: Businesses reminded that disposable vapes ban begins this Sunday.

Key stats:

• Number of premises issued with closure orders : 22
• Number of premises from which products were seized: 45
• Number of individual cigarettes seized: 1,004,580
• Amount of hand-rolling tobacco seized: 315.6 kg
• Number of individual niche tobacco products seized: 18
• Number of vapes seized: 5,825

Age-restricted products

A total of 26 premises were tested for the underage sale of vapes across the Service in 2025-26, with one premises failing the test. This failure occurred during a police-led day of action in Plymouth, where we conducted underage test purchases with the support of Devon & Cornwall Police and Police Cadets. During the operation, 16 premises were visited, and one retailer sold a vape to a 15-year-old volunteer.

A number of the shops closed for selling illegal tobacco and vapes were also found to be selling these products to under-18s. At one shop which was closed, there were reports of tobacco and vapes being sold to under-18s, and that two children had become unwell after vaping. It’s suspected that the vapes contained Spice, a Class B synthetic cannabinoid drug. Bideford shop, where tobacco products were sold to children closed by Trading Standards and Police.

Petroleum

Officers carried out 80 inspections at newly built and existing petroleum sites across the region; 12 were to high risk premises. Matters dealt with include opening of new sites, redevelopment of sites, incorrectly fitted fuel pipes, fuel contamination, drainage issues and safety certificates.

Metrology

This year officers inspected 21 fuel forecourts, ensuring that the pumps were dispensing the correct amount of fuel. No major issues were found.

They also inspected 22 weighbridges. This involves visual checks to determine compliance of machines, disrupt potential fraud, and ensure maintenance and calibration contracts are being maintained and by whom. Again, not many issues were found.

Measuring equipment and product packages at nine factory premises were checked to ensure product weights were correct. Where issues were identified, businesses were brought back into compliance.