Product Recall
West Dunbartonshire Council’s Trading Standards team test purchased an unsafe product while carrying out Market Surveillance which has now been recalled.
The Bauer electric hot water bottle which was available in local stores, presents a serious risk of fire due to an incorrectly rated fuse in the plug. The Office of Product Safety and Standards have published the product safety report:
Operation CECE, Illicit Tobacco
Our Trading Standards team with help from Police Scotland Argyll & West Dunbartonshire and a specially trained detection dog recently seized £8330 of illegal tobacco.
Across three premises which were visited in January 2025 and with help from sniffer dog Boo, 8000 cigarettes were discovered along with almost 4kg of hand rolling tobacco. These had been imported illegally into the country.
When this happens, the products are non-duty paid meaning there is less for funding public services including the NHS and education. They may be imported from outwith the EU which means they may not comply with UK and EU safety standards. Officers also suspect some of the goods seized are traditional counterfeit, fake cigarettes.
West Dunbartonshire Council Trading Standards are working with HMRC on Operation CECE, carrying out enforcement at retail level, referring business operators to HMRC who can issue sanctions of up to £10,000 for the supply of non-duty paid tobacco products.
If purchasing tobacco, please ensure the products are genuine. Non-standard green packaging and no ‘UK duty paid’ stamp are tell-tale signs of illicit tobacco. If you have any further information or have knowledge of any other shops selling illegal tobacco, this can be reported anonymously by emailing trading.standards@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
