Hull City Council’s Trading Standards officers have seized thousands of counterfeit and unsafe products from shops across the city, including toys, baby feeding bottles, candles and tobacco products, during a two-day operation dubbed Operation Bramble.
The operation followed a flood of information from members of the public, submitted after the council revealed that previous seizures had recovered more than 1,000 contaminated counterfeit toys, some of which contained the cancer-causing chemical benzene.
The latest action saw van-loads of goods recovered from visits to more than 60 local retailers. Councillor Ted Dolman, whose portfolio includes Trading Standards, joined officers on the visits to see the scale of the problem, and the work being done to tackle it, first-hand.
Items removed from sale included candles that could pose a fire risk, cosmetics that could contain prohibited or restricted substances capable of causing burns, and baby feeding bottles that failed to meet safety standards designed to protect infants. Officers also found counterfeit tobacco products and paraphernalia, none of which had undergone the safety checks legally required for sale in the UK.
Cllr Dolman said: “Being out on the streets and experiencing the operation first-hand was an incredible insight into the scale of the problem that is illicit goods on our streets, and the work the teams do to protect the public from harm. I knew this was a serious issue, however seeing it firsthand really brought it to life.” He thanked members of the public whose tips, following the council’s earlier warning about contaminated “squishy” toys, had directly shaped which premises and products the two-day operation targeted.
He added: “This is work which is often unseen, but it happens day in day out. The items seized during Operation Bramble would have potentially put children, individuals and entire households at risk. We must be absolutely clear that these are not simply technical breaches of product safety legislation. These are products which could expose consumers to serious risks, including choking, poisoning, burns, chemical exposure, fire, and other potentially life-changing injuries.”
The council said the operation showed the value of public tip-offs in supporting the Trading Standards team’s regular inspection and enforcement work, which forms part of the wider role of Hull City Council’s Public Protection Service in safeguarding residents, supporting legitimate businesses and protecting consumers from harm.
Anyone who suspects goods for sale are counterfeit or dangerous is encouraged to contact Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133, who will pass details to the local Trading Standards team. More information is available at hull.gov.uk/legal-advice/trading-standards.
