Staffing for consumer protection in some South London boroughs reaches an all time low, leaving counterfeit goods, scams and cowboy builders free to operate with little fear of prosecution, writes Emily Driver…

The report by consumer watchdog Which? has revealed a collapse in trading standards enforcement across Britain – with South London boroughs as among the worst hit. 

Lambeth – home to a population of over 318,000 people and over 13,000 businesses – has just two trading standards officers to investigate everything from dangerous toys to dodgy builders. In a place where bustling market stalls rub shoulders with high street chains, Which? Identifies the borough as having one of the lowest staffing levels of trading enforcement in the country. 

However Lambeth have said that “a number of duties that would be carried out by trading standards outside London – such as food standards – are carried out by environmental health officers in Lambeth and therefore comparison of staff numbers is not always an accurate representation.”

Meanwhile, nearby Southwark meets the national median of 3.8 staff per 100,000 people. However, Which? notes that this is still far below what is necessary for effective enforcement. 

The council hit back by saying that they have uncovered some high profile cases and that the figures do not reflect the number of new recruits being trained.

Trading standards teams in councils have the power to investigate rogue traders and prosecute offenders. But the report points out that when these enforcements are stretched thin, consumers are left vulnerable to violations such as becoming victims of cowboy traders or buying potentially dangerous cosmetics from third-party sellers.

The report says budgets across the board tell a similar story. Some councils, including Lambeth, are spending less than £1 per head on trading standards – a fraction of what’s needed for proactive inspections or major prosecutions. Across the country, more than 30 services, including Wandsworth, recorded no criminal persecutions at all last year, and 25 managed just one. 

The report depicts a “postcode lottery” for consumer protection – with entire areas where the risk of being caught and prosecuted is “next to zero”. 

Rocio Concha, Which?, director of policy and advocacy has said that this decline feeds into narratives about ‘broken Britain’ where “illicit vape shops, to cowboy builders, criminals are thriving and ordinary people feel powerless as their complaints are routinely ignored.” 

With underage sales of alcohol and vapes now soaking up much of the meagre resources, other crucial work – like tackling fake goods, scams and unsafe weights and measures – is being deprioritised. 

Which? is calling for urgent government reform to rebuild the system, including better data sharing amongst trading standards teams, and funding that matches the scale of the problem.

Southwark Council’s Natasha Ennin, the cabinet member whose portfolio includes trading standards, praised the success of the local authority’s officers in pursuing rogue traders.

“Southwark is a borough brimming with all kinds of businesses, entrepreneurs and endeavours, which is part of what makes the area so vibrant and exciting. This does mean that trading standards teams who monitor business activities often have their hands full, ensuring traders are meeting required standards and consumers are protected,” she said.

“We take this responsibility very seriously and the resources we put into this reflects that. Part of that resource includes training newer recruits who we hope will go on to lead for our team in the future, so while the results may not be immediately obvious, our resourcing and recruitment is done with a focus on the long-term.

“Our trading standards teams have recorded numerous high-profile successes in recent years including a case of worldwide interest combating bogus Covid-cure claims by Bishop Climate, while Southwark has also seized the most cigarettes and rolling tobacco out of all London boroughs in 2024/25 – almost half a million cigarettes and 70kg of rolling tobacco.”  

Lambeth council, when approached for comment, told the News: “Lambeth is committed to ensuring the safest and fairest possible trading environment, in the interests of all our residents. Our Trading Standards team works hard every day to provide a high-quality service across a wide range of areas – including carrying out inspections to ensure the safety of all products on sale to the public, testing services, and enforcement.

“The council is rejuvenating its trading standards scheme, and ensuring it is linked closely with licensing, food safety and health and safety, to make full use of all the powers available to us in protecting consumers throughout Lambeth.

“We have been recruiting more staff to strengthen this work in recent months. In addition, a number of duties that would be carried out by trading standards outside London – such as food standards – are carried out by environmental health officers in Lambeth and therefore comparison of staff numbers is not always an accurate representation of the scale of our trading standards operation.”