Dudley Trading Standards team wins award for crime crackdown
Council praised for closing 39 criminally linked shops in just over a year
Dudley Council’s Trading Standards team has won an award after leading an operation to shut down shops connected to organised crime.
The team, led by principal officer Kuldeep Maan, has been named as the winner of the Outstanding Trading Standards Project.
Since August last year, the group has worked alongside police and landlords to close 39 shops linked to illegal activity — believed to be the highest number of business closures by any local authority in the UK.
Their efforts also led to the successful prosecution and imprisonment of a criminal gang operating a network of stores selling illegal tobacco across the borough.
Councillor Phil Atkins, cabinet member for development and regulation, said:
“I am delighted that the trading standards team has been recognised nationally for the outstanding work they have done in this field.
Their efforts in attempting to drive organised crime out of our high streets are without parallel anywhere in the country. I know that our law-abiding traders are glad to see them gone and are very grateful for it.”
Many of the premises closed by the team remain permanently shut, while others have since reopened as legitimate businesses — helping to revitalise Dudley’s high streets.
The Hero Awards ceremony will take place at the House of Lords in Westminster on Tuesday, December 2, where Dudley’s Trading Standards team will officially receive their national accolade.