Rochdale Trading Standards win national award after seizing £16m in dangerous fake toys, cosmetics and illegal drugs
Rochdale’s Trading Standards team has won the 2025 CTSI Hero Award in Parliament for their outstanding work tackling organised counterfeiting and protecting families from dangerous products.
Over the past year, the team has seized more than £16 million worth of fake items, including unsafe cosmetics, counterfeit medicines and illegal drugs. Among the most concerning finds were counterfeit “Labubu” dolls – one of this Christmas’s most popular toys – which contained loose parts that can detach and pose a serious choking hazard to young children.
Working with police forces nationwide, the team disrupted organised criminal groups and intercepted over 94,000 dangerous fake products before they could reach shops or online sellers. Their investigations have stopped harmful goods entering homes across the UK.
Paul Waugh MP presented the award to Darren, Dennis and apprentice Ollie in Parliament, praising their national impact and meticulous enforcement work.
He said:
“Rochdale’s Trading Standards officers have protected families across the country. Stopping dangerous fake Labubu dolls alone could prevent serious injuries this Christmas, and their wider work breaking up criminal supply chains is exceptional. They fully deserve this national recognition.”
This is the team’s third CTSI Hero Award, following earlier success highlighting ghost number plates and their pioneering work with sniffer dog Pippa on illegal vapes.
