The Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board is scheduled to receive updates on the service's performance and discuss the growing issue of serious and organised crime operating through high street retail premises. The meeting will also cover the mid-year performance of the joint service between Brent and Harrow councils.

Joint Advisory Board Mid-Year Report 2026-27

The board is scheduled to receive a mid-year update on the performance of the Trading Standards Service, which operates as a joint consortium between the London Borough of Brent and the London Borough of Harrow, with Brent acting as the host authority. The report will highlight key achievements and challenges faced by the service during the first six months of the financial year. The service is responsible for enforcing a wide range of legislation relating to consumer protection, fair trading, product safety, metrology, and age-restricted sales. The report notes that staffing capacity has been reduced due to departures, placing additional pressure on remaining officers. However, the team is now supported by two Level 6 Trading Standards apprentices who are expected to help ease workloads and build future enforcement capacity. The service receives requests from consumers, businesses, local authorities, ports, and enforcement agencies, prioritising complaints and intelligence involving scams, unfair trading, unsafe products, vulnerable residents, and serious offending. The report details the number of service requests received and analysed, as well as the number of businesses visited for compliance checks related to illicit tobacco and age-restricted products. It also outlines enforcement actions taken, including infringement reports and fines imposed by the Magistrates' Court. The service also provides rapid response support to protect residents from doorstep crime. The report indicates that the service has seen a steady increase in Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, which require officer time to review and respond to. Priorities for October 2026–March 2027 include targeting high-risk activity such as illicit tobacco and illegal vape sales, strengthening prevention and partnerships, and focusing resources on measurable impact.

Serious and Organised Crime on our High Streets

A report is scheduled to inform members of the increasing presence of serious and organised criminality operating through retail premises on UK high streets and the implications for Brent and Harrow. This report summarises key findings from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's (CTSI) Hidden in Plain Sight: Tackling Crime on the UK's High Streets and the House of Commons Library's Tackling Illicit Activity in High Street Shops briefing. The reports highlight that organised crime groups are increasingly using retail premises for activities such as money laundering, illicit tobacco and illegal vape sales, counterfeit goods distribution, consumer fraud, and labour exploitation. The National Crime Agency estimates that at least £1 billion criminal cash is laundered annually through high street businesses. The CTSI report identifies serious, organised crime operating through retail premises as one of the most significant challenges facing the Trading Standards profession, with 96% of surveyed professionals having encountered organised crime groups. The report notes that a range of business types, including convenience stores, vape retailers, and fast-food outlets, have been associated with illicit trading. It also states that activity linked to counterfeit goods, illicit tobacco, and illegal vaping products is often connected to wider serious criminality, including human trafficking and money laundering. Trading Standards is identified as the lead enforcement authority in areas directly linked to illicit high street activity, such as product safety, counterfeit goods, tobacco control, vape compliance, under-age sales, and consumer protection. While not the primary agency for investigating serious organised crime, officers frequently identify offending businesses and gather intelligence that contributes to wider criminal investigations. The report outlines the role of Trading Standards in protecting consumers, disrupting criminal activity, supporting legitimate businesses, and contributing to wider community safety objectives. It proposes strengthening intelligence sharing arrangements with the Metropolitan Police and other partners, continuing targeted interventions within high-risk sectors, and hosting reporting mechanisms for residents, businesses, and elected members to provide intelligence on suspected illicit trading activity.