London Trading Standards (LTS) held its second annual city-wide awareness campaign in September 2018. LTS week showcased efforts to ensure consumers and reputable businesses are protected across the capital.

The week kicked off on Monday 10th September when London’s 33 Local Authority Trading Standards Services joined forces to focus on a range of core problem areas affecting the capital.

The campaign was supported by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).

With such a wide breadth of work conducted by trading standards services in the busiest city in Europe, each day of the week-long campaign showcased different areas of trading standards work

• Day 1: Monday 10 September – Product safety, with survey results on second hand tyre safety released
• Day 2: Tuesday 11 September – Scams and doorstep crime, with details of the great work being done in London to combat this
• Day 3: Wednesday 12 September – Buying a used car, with survey results on used cars offered for sale
• Day 4: Thursday 13 September – Housing, with survey results on letting agents compliance rates
• Day 5: Friday 14 September – Protecting young people, with survey results on London wide underage test purchasing

LTS is a coordinated partnership of 33 local authority trading standards services across London, sharing intelligence and working collaboratively to ensure each service can maintain consumer protection despite severe cuts to public resources.

Spokesperson, Steve Playle, said: “This is the second year that London Trading Standards will showcase the work it does to protect consumers and ensure reputable businesses can operate on a level playing field. Work carried out by trading standards officers across all the London Boroughs is crucial to the communities that they serve. It is also a golden opportunity to show how services can collaborate to highlight important issues.”

Trading standards services and partners across the capital took part in related activities each day. Bromley Trading Standards and the National Trading Standards Scams Team were in Bromley shopping centre advising consumers on how they can protect themselves from scams. Hammersmith & Fulham Trading Standards team were out on the final day of LTS Week with sniffer dogs to highlight and educate the public about the risks associated with illegal tobacco.

Chief Executive of CTSI, Leon Livermore said: “I’m a great supporter of the London Trading Standards partnership. Its work to raise awareness of vital consumer issues and its unrelenting support of London businesses is something we should all aspire to.”

“The cooperative approach that the London authorities have taken is a great antidote to the wide-spread cuts to public resources.”

• LTS Week took place 10 – 14 September 2018
• Follow @London_T_S and @CTSI_UK on Twitter for full updates
• Follow #LTSweek2018 for updates from across London