Latest News - Trading Standards

• Underage Alcohol Sales Warning
• Tobacco law changed on 1 October 2007
• Do you sell knives?
• Storing Fireworks and Explosives - the requirements
• Fireworks - Be Safe Not Sorry
• Top Tips for Shopping in the Sales
• Toy Safety at Christmas Time
• Contact us

Underage Alcohol Sales Warning

Help us catch traders who sell alcohol to underage youngsters. This is the call from Haringey Council's Trading Standards Officers who warn that traders caught selling to underage drinkers could lose their licence and be out of business.

Tobacco law changed on 1 October 2007

On the 1 October 2007, the law changed so that it is now an offence for any person to sell tobacco to a person under the age of 18 years, whether or not for the child’s own use.

Retailers, who currently sell tobacco products, should already be aware of the previous age restriction preventing the sale of tobacco to persons under 16 and the requirement to display a warning notice.

If they have not done already, tobacco retailers should revise and update their existing procedures and training. This should include alerting staff to the changes.

To alert small businesses of the changes, the government has been writing to retailers.

If you are a Haringey business and need further advice, please click contact us.

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Do you sell knives? Read on…

Knife retailers should be aware that on 1 October 2007, the age restriction for buying knives changed from 16 to 18.

It is now an offence for a person to sell the following to a person under the age of 18:

• any knife, knife blade or razor blade.
• any axe.
• any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for use for causing injury to a person.

This restriction does not apply to folding pocket knives if the cutting edge of the blade is less than 3 inches or 7.62cm. Nor does it apply to replacement cartridges for safety razors, where less than 2mm of the blade is exposed.

Knife retailers should revise and update their existing procedures and training. This should include alerting staff to the changes.

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Storing Fireworks and Explosives -the requirements

We have written to all Haringey traders who are currently registered to store explosives and fireworks, to ask them if they would like to renew their licences.

In brief, under the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005 anyone storing fireworks at their premises will need to register or apply for a licence. Also, under the Fireworks Regulations 2004, persons selling fireworks outside specified periods, will need an additional licence.

The current specified periods are:

• On the first day of the Chinese New Year and the three days immediately preceding it.
• On the day of Diwali and the three days immediately preceding it.
• During the period 15 October - 10 November.
• During the period 26 December - 31 December.

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Fireworks - Be Safe Not Sorry

We are currently repeating our education and enforcement campaign which targets shops that sell fireworks. As well as alerting retailers to the dangers of storing fireworks inappropriately and warning them about the illegal sales of fireworks to persons under 18 year old, Trading Standards will be inspecting traders to make sure they are not selling potentially dangerous fireworks.

For advice on the use of fireworks, please visit the the website of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in our external links section below.

If you have any information relating to sales of fireworks (or other age restricted products) to children in Haringey, please let us know - contact us.

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Top Tips for Shopping in the Sales

We want you to enjoy shopping in Haringey. These tips should help you.

• Shop around - compare prices and offers to ensure you find the best bargains.
• Keep your receipt - it will make things easier if you need to return goods.
• You have the same consumer rights for sale goods and non sale goods.
• If an item is sold as 'damaged' or 'seconds', remember that you can not later return these goods if that fault was already pointed out to you before purchase.
• Ask about the shop's refund policy before you buy, as you're not legally entitled to a refund where you have changed your mind about the purchase.
• Some franchised shops won't give refunds on goods bought from other stores.
• If you use a UK credit card for purchases over £100, the credit card company will be equally liable (as the shop) should the goods be faulty, misdescribed or fail to supply them.
• Ask if the goods are covered by any free manufacturer's guarantee. Don't assume anything, as the goods may be 'grey' imports from other countries and not covered by a guarantee from the manufacturer's UK representative.
• Some shops have signs explaining their refunds policy. Tell Trading Standards if a shop displays a sign which just says 'No refunds'. It's probably illegal, as you cannot take a consumer's statutory rights away.

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Toy Safety at Christmas Time

Every Christmas, Trading Standards Officers keep watch for unsafe toys being sold. Officers regularly inspect markets and shops to check toys that are being sold, to ensure they meet current safety legislation.

Toys are generally much safer than they used to be, following the introduction of more stringent safety legislation. However, there are still non-compliant toys being sold, and officers are always careful to take action where they suspect that a toy could be dangerous.

When buying toys, shoppers should always check for the 'CE' mark and relevant safety warnings. We recommend you don't buy toys from unlicensed street traders, people in pubs or car boot sales.

We want to know if you see any unsafe toys on sale in Haringey - contact us.

Contact us

For more information including Business and Consumer Advice, Latest News and Trading Standards legislation visit the dedicated Trading Standards Website in the external links section below.

Trading Standards
Block 2
Lee Valley Techno Park
Ashley Road
London
N17 9LN

Tel 020 8489 5134
Fax 020 8489 5554
Email tradingstandards@haringey.gov.uk

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