Our Priorities

Each year NTS undertakes a strategic assessment which uses our intelligence sources to identify the key national threats, emerging issues and allows us to identify our priority areas for action.

Work to tackle these priorities is delivered by trading standards, locally, regionally and nationally and with the support and advice of our Consumer Protection Partners.

Our current priorities are:

Doorstep crime and cold calling (including energy fraud)

NTS has supported several regional/national investigations and projects by the Regional Investigation Teams and local authority trading standards. We have produced training and guidance for local authority trading standards’ officers to assist them with tackling this wide-ranging crime.

Lettings (England only) and Estate Agency work

Funding is provided by MHCLG to enable the Estate and Letting Agency Teams to undertake estate agency work (across the UK) and letting agency work (in England). We also support regional short term projects which aim to improve enforcement of lettings legislation in local authorities each year.

Mass marketing fraud/scams

This area of work is delivered primarily by the NTS Scams Team through its disruption work and by supporting local authorities to engage with victims across England and Wales.

Illicit vapes (England only)

Funding has been provided by the Department of Health and Social Care to tackle the importation of illegal vapes at key ports of entry.

Illicit tobacco

Funding has been provided by HMRC (His Majesty's Revenue and Customs) for local authorities and regional groups to carry out work to tackle the retail supply of illicit tobacco products. This is part of a wider strategy that HMRC is undertaking to tackle this problem.

Used cars

This work is primarily delivered at a local level with several investigations supported by NTS. These have helped deal with some of the most complained about traders. Market disruption activities have been focussed on market enablers, for example mileage adjustment service providers. We have developed guidance for local authority trading standards officers on sources of data on mileage and vehicle history.

Intellectual property

This work has focused on tackling the suppliers of counterfeit products and disrupting the supply chains to markets of illicit goods, through the work of Regional Investigation Teams and trading standards services.

Other fair trading issues

Regional and national teams have taken on several successful cases dealing with misdescriptions, such as those arising from advertising pricing, descriptions of goods and services, terms and conditions, fraud and money laundering offences relating to national/regional traders.

Animal feed work

We receive funding from the Food Standards Agency to support a programme of work to ensure the integrity of the animal feed chain and protect food safety and UK meat exports. This is delivered via the nine regions in England who work with all local authorities to deliver the controls.

Cross Cutting Issues

NTS also have the following cross cutting issues, as they impact on each priority area:

• eCrime and the use of social media/online platforms
• Serious and organised crime
• The cost of living crisis