London Trading Standards (LTS) Week 2024 begins today (7 October) by highlighting the work being done across the capital to stub out illegal cigarettes and tobacco.
According to LTS, in London alone, nearly one million cigarettes were removed from sale between April 2023 and March 2024, with 19 million being seized nationally.
An increase in dedicated funding through Operation CeCe – an initiative led by National Trading Standards (NTS) with support from HMRC – means that Trading Standards Officers will be able to ramp up their efforts to catch retailers flouting the law by selling illegal tobacco under the counter.
A Wagtail tobacco detection dog sniffs out illegal products (image credit: LTS)
Specially trained sniffer dogs are a vital weapon in the fight against illegal tobacco, helping to uncover the hidden storage compartments that rogue shopkeepers often use to hide their illicit wares.
Tracy Parr, Programme Director for the London Tobacco Alliance, which is has been working with LTS, said: “The work that we have undertaken in partnership with London Trading Standards is a great example of working across sectors.
“With the common aim of trying to reduce the significant harm caused to Londoners by tobacco, we have collaborated on work to combat illegal tobacco.
“Our joint presentation to the London Health Board demonstrates the power of partnership working at the highest level.”
NTS Chair, Lord Michael Bichard, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law. Having removed 19 million illegal cigarettes and 5,103kg of hand-rolling tobacco in 2023-24, Operation CeCe has taken £27.2m worth of illicit tobacco off the market since the operation launched in 2021 and continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”
LTS Week 2024 will continue until Friday, providing themed updates on the work of Trading Standards teams across the capital and its impact on communities. In addition to illicit tobacco, topics on the agenda this year include illegal vapes, the private rental sector, the cost-of-living crisis and bogus online reviews.
