The Trading Standards team in Kensington and Chelsea have been praised for potentially saving lives after helping remove thousands of potentially dangerous electrical goods destined for shops before Christmas.
The officers took part in a pan-London raid at a north London warehouse on December 15, where more than 20,000 goods such as laptop chargers, adapters, Christmas lights, PCs, tablets, sat navs, and other electrical products were seized.
The raid was part of a project funded by National Trading Standards aimed at combating the sale of dangerous imports being sold in the UK, many of which do not meet stringent EU safety standards.
A total of 22 trading standards officers from a number of London councils, as well as the Metropolitan Police , Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and immigration departments took part in the raid.
More than 30 pallets of potentially dangerous products, which had been imported from China and other countries outside of the European Union , were seized and transported to a secure location using a large articulated lorry and trailer. A criminal investigation is underway.
Head of environmental health at the council, Cllr Tim Ahern, said: “It is difficult to estimate how many injuries and lives may have been saved by taking these dangerous items off sale as it is completely reasonable to assume that most, if not all these items, were destined to be Christmas gifts to be used by people completely unaware of the potential risks involved.
“I am at a loss to understand how businesses can allow potentially unsafe goods to be sold. However, I am pleased that our Trading Standards officers have contributed to this operation.”
Lord Toby Harris, chairman of National Trading Standards , said: “I applaud everyone involved in this successful raid which kept these potentially dangerous products from falling into the hands of unsuspecting consumers, simply looking for the perfect presents for friends and relatives this Christmas.
“At this time of year it can be tempting to look for a bargain, but we would urge consumers to be on their guard. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
"Consumer safety is a top priority for National Trading Standards and I hope that the criminals involved in peddling these unsafe items will now be brought to justice."
Anyone who suspects any sellers, websites or products of being unsafe is urged to report them to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 040506.
