Trading standards bonus for Powys County Council

Information will be presented to a full Powys County Council tomorrow, about how much has been raised through proceeds of crime in recent years.

Trading standards at Powys has previously been praised for its part in big operations, one being Operation Gleam that brought down a multi million pound teething whitening scam.

Newtown county councillor has requested information from the authority about the success of the work, and praised officers for keeping Powys streets safe.

He said: "Powys has had a lot of recent successes in prosecuting rogue traders in Powys and credit must go to the officers who are helping to keep our streets safe. Can the portfolio holder comment how much money has been raised from proceeds of crime?"

In response, James Evans, cabinet member for public protection said that since work began work a Home Office system called JARD, the authority has been able to secure £349,014.83 for their work.

He said: "Proceeds of crime work means taking the assets off criminals that have ripped off our consumers.

"Any monies recovered goes direct to a system called JARD administered by the Home Office.

"Since we started this work in 2014 some £349,014.83 has been recorded for Powys work on JARD, some of this going as compensation for victims. In some cases we receive a percentage under a scheme run by the Home Office, 38.5 per cent.

"In cases where compensation is involved all the monies go to victims. We have one accredited financial investigator doing this work."

Cases in recent years have seen the authority's trading standards bring prosecutions against people for selling fake clothes, cigarettes and tobacco.