The boss of National Trading Standards has praised Thurrock Council after more than 700,000 unsafe and non-compliant products were intercepted coming through the borough’s ports last year.

In 2017/18, the council’s trading standards team saved the economy £23.7million by preventing product recalls, fires, injuries and deaths from 704,374 unsafe and non-compliant items arriving via DP World London Gateway Port and the Port of Tilbury from places including China and west Africa.

Indeed, the council’s trading standards team was responsible for 32 per cent of all unsafe and non-compliant items seized at ports and borders across the UK in 2017/18.

Lord Toby Harris, who chairs National Trading Standards, which provides funding to Thurrock Council to help stop dangerous goods from being imported into the UK, commended the council for its achievements during a visit to DP World London Gateway Port and Logistics Park today.

Lord Harris said: “The trading standards officers at Thurrock Council do fantastic work every day, helping to protect consumers across the country from the dangers of unsafe products.

“Their impact speaks for itself with hundreds of thousands of unsafe or non-compliant products prevented from entering the UK in the last year alone.

“National Trading Standards has worked in partnership for several years now with Thurrock Council and it was great to visit London Gateway again today to see the work taking place.

“We are looking forward to continuing our partnership over the coming years to ensure consumers are protected from dangerous products.”

Cllr Rob Gledhill, Leader of Thurrock Council, added: “Our trading standards officers work tirelessly to prevent dangerous and non-compliant goods from entering the country via Thurrock’s ports.

“This work is vital in both keeping the public safe and protecting businesses, saving the UK economy millions of pounds every year.

“I am very pleased the team’s achievements over the last year have been recognised during this visit and look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners in the years to come.”

Lord Harris was accompanied on the visit by representatives from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which includes the new Office for Product Safety and Standards.

For more information about the council’s trading standards team, please visit www.thurrock.gov.uk/tradingstandards