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The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) welcomes the creation of a High Street Organised Crime Unit, but urges the Home Office to rapidly review enforcement powers, resources, and measures to keep Trading Standards officers safe, to help further clamp down on organised crime on the high street.

The Home Office announcement states that the new ‘Unit’ will see enforcement partners – including Local Authority Trading Standards – embark on a “nationwide crackdown on dodgy shops.”

CTSI’s recent report – Hidden in Plain Sight: Tackling Crime on the UK’s High Streets – sets out the vast and complex criminal networks that use high street shops as a front for serious and organised crime. Such shops sell illegal products - such as tobacco and vapes, or counterfeit goods – and may also commit wider offences, such as money laundering, child sexual exploitation, people smuggling, and modern slavery. The report set out a series of policy recommendations to help empower enforcement agencies to clamp down on “dodgy shops”, including strengthening Closure Order powers and providing more resourcing to the enforcement landscape.

John Herriman, Chief Executive of CTSI, said:

"CTSI welcomes the introduction of the High Street Organised Crime Unit, which will bring together partner agencies - including Trading Standards - to tackle organised criminality on our high streets.

“The proliferation of so called ‘dodgy shops’ puts consumers at significant risk and undermines the legitimate businesses who drive economic growth across the UK. The new Unit will bring a much-needed focus to help clamp down on a blight on our high streets and communities.

“CTSI’s recent report on organised criminality on UK high streets highlighted some of the many challenges Trading Standards face and set out a series of recommendations to empower enforcement agencies to clamp down on the issue. There is an urgent need for the Home Office to rapidly review enforcement powers, resources, and measures to protect Trading Standards officers, so agencies can more effectively disrupt organised criminality.”