• Double days of action to target law breaking businesses
Newham Council’s Trading Standards and Licensing team recently conducted two days of action to targeting illicit goods, counterfeiting, alcohol premise licence breaches, street drinking linked to businesses and anti-social behaviour issues.
During the days of action, advice was provided to support the local authorities’ Climate Emergency Action agenda. Businesses were advised about the environmental disposal issues surrounding the sale of nicotine inhaling devices (vapes).
The partnership and collaborative work saw a total of 17 business premises visited, with 8 non-compliance concerns, which surrounded minimum unit/ alcohol pricing, over-strength alcohol and failed test purchasing.
The days of action resulted in the seizure of almost 10,000 cigarettes. These products were identified with non-standardised packaging, having a number of language, pictorial or labelling irregularities. Trading Standards successfully removed £8,000 of non-compliant and illicit products from the streets of Newham.
Licensing also made 2 alcohol seizures, resulting from breaches of the premises licence conditions. These conditions were implemented to restrict the alcohol strength permitted for sale, to reduce anti-social behaviour and street drinking.
Selling illicit goods often funds organised criminal gangs, and creates significant losses to local authorities, and the UK’s Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, through the trade in illicit alcohol.
The continued efforts to tackle the illicit trade have been made possible as a result of funding support that Newham Trading Standards has received from National Trading Standards (NTS), Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), London Trading Standards (LTS), and Public Health.
Investigations and Prosecutions
Investigations concerning minimum alcohol pricing and illicit tobacco sales remain ongoing. The seized products will be fully assessed as part of the inquiry to determine the exact offences that have been committed.
Anyone who is prosecuted and convicted of being involved in selling or supplying illegal tobacco can face penalties including up to 10 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Councillor Amar Virdee, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Crime said: “The health and wellbeing of Newham residents and visitors is of paramount importance to the local authority, and this includes ensuring that we have a sustainable environment”.
“It’s pleasing to see collaborative work between local authority services, which brings together professional disciplines to target non-compliance, anti-social behaviour, and other identified issues of concern within the borough”.
“Newham Council will challenge and stop businesses that seek to manufacture, or participate in unlicensed activity, sale and supply of illicit alcohol”.
“Some traders will go to extreme lengths to make a quick profit, to avoid paying the appropriate duties or taxes”.
“We will never allow the health of our residents or visitors to be compromised and we will stop those that engage in unscrupulous business practise”.
“We will always seek to prevent those attempting to create an unfair competitive advantage, and protect legitimate law-abiding businesses”.