Thurrock Council’s trading standards port team has been recognised for its role in preventing dangerous goods entering the UK at the 2019 Chartered Trading Standards Institute Hero Awards.

The team was presented with the Product Safety Hero Award by Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price and Amanda Farrell from the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

The team saw an 86 per cent increase in the number of non-compliant and unsafe items detected last year, saving the UK economy an estimated £14.4 million. It also intercepted 36 per cent of such products, including fire-risk hairdryers and dangerous toys, entering the UK, and in the last quarter of 2018 confiscated more than 88,000 unsafe items.

Leader of the Council, Rob Gledhill said: “Our Trading Standards Ports Team has received £177,000 in funding from the National Trading Standards Board for 2019/20. They work tirelessly to identify dangerous, consumer products and confiscate such items before they make their way into the hands of unsuspecting shoppers.

“Thurrock is a gateway for the world, so our officers’ work potentially protects millions of people from harm or serious injury. Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved.”