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IPO campaign launched as toxicants found in counterfeit beauty products

Source: Intellectual Property Office (IPO) published on this website Wednesday 4 November 2026

Counterfeit beauty products are putting people’s health at risk, prompting warnings from the Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards and beauty industry experts about the dangers of fake cosmetics. They are urging people to buy from trusted sources.

Testing of products seized in the UK found four in ten (40%) contained potentially harmful substances. These include mercury, high levels of lead, methanol and nicotine.

The Intellectual Property Office’s (IPO) new Face the Fakes campaign is highlighting the hidden risks identified through testing of seized counterfeit products. These include a skincare product containing 13,200 parts per million of mercury and high levels of lead in make-up. A counterfeit fragrance contained around 80% methanol, a toxic alcohol that can cause serious poisoning.

Beauty products are a major target for counterfeiters in the UK. Cosmetics, skincare and perfumes are among Trading Standards’ ten most commonly investigated counterfeit goods.

In July, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and Greater Manchester Police seized 1,666 counterfeit hair products from a warehouse in Manchester. These included hair extensions, shampoo and conditioners.

This follows a raid in Bolton, where Trading Standards officers seized £2 million worth of counterfeit goods, including perfume, cosmetics, clothing and vapes.

The findings come as the latest IPO data counterfeit beauty buying is rising sharply among younger consumers. The latest IPO Counterfeit Goods Tracker (September 2026) found that 20% of 18 to 24-year-olds who bought beauty products in 2025 knowingly purchased counterfeits. This is more than three times the proportion recorded in 2023 (6%).

The growing role of online and social media shopping is adding to concerns. Nearly three in four (71%) people who bought counterfeit cosmetics and toiletries purchased them online, where convincing product listings, familiar branding and positive reviews can make fakes difficult to identify.

The real impact of counterfeit beauty

Giorgia Aloi is supporting the campaign after her mother suffered an allergic reaction to a counterfeit foundation purchased through a social media marketplace. What appeared to be a genuine beauty product left her mother with a painful reaction on her face. The experience brought home the potential dangers of counterfeit cosmetics.

The experience prompted Giorgia to establish SafeGlam, a platform raising awareness of the harms of counterfeit beauty products. She is now sharing her family’s experience as part of the IPO’s Face the Fakes campaign to warn others about the risks.

What’s really inside counterfeit beauty products?

Trading Standards has tested a cross-section of 50 seized counterfeit cosmetic products and identified potentially harmful substances across skincare, make-up and fragrance.

mercury in skincare: one counterfeit skin-lightening cream contained 1.32% mercury, equivalent to 13,200 parts per million. Mercury is prohibited in cosmetics of this type and repeated exposure through the skin can damage the kidneys and nervous system, with effects that may not be immediately visible
lead in make-up: high levels of lead were found in multiple counterfeit lipsticks, eyeshadows and contour products, including 40 mg/kg in one contour kit. Lead can build up in the body over time, potentially damaging the brain, nervous system and kidneys. There are particular risks for children and during pregnancy
nicotine in perfume: testing also detected nicotine in a counterfeit perfume, despite it being prohibited in cosmetics
methanol in fragrance: one counterfeit fragrance tested contained around 80% methanol, a toxic alcohol that can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Methanol can cause serious poisoning, including damage to the nervous system and eyesight. This can potentially result in permanent blindness
hydroquinone in skincare: one counterfeit skin-lightening cream contained 8.1% hydroquinone, a chemical prohibited in cosmetic skin-lightening products in the UK. It can cause skin irritation and, with repeated use, pigmentation changes including patchy skin lightening and ochronosis. Ochronosis is a potentially permanent blue-black discolouration of the skin. Unlike legitimate cosmetics, which must meet strict UK safety requirements, counterfeit products can bypass these safeguards. They can also be made in unhygienic conditions, increasing the risk of contamination. This means people cannot be sure what’s inside them or whether they’re safe to use

Rani Ghosh, an independent toxicologist, said:

“When you hear that mercury has been found in face cream, lead in make-up or nicotine in perfume, it raises serious questions about what is going into these products and how they are being made.

“Some reactions to unsafe cosmetics may be visible, such as irritation, swelling or changes to the skin. But what concerns me as a toxicologist is what you might not see. Substances such as mercury and lead can affect the body internally, and those effects may not be immediately obvious.

“Counterfeit beauty products can look incredibly convincing. You cannot tell from the packaging what chemicals are inside, how the product has been made, or what risk it might pose. That is why knowing where your beauty products come from matters.”

Helping consumers Face the Fakes

The IPO’s Face the Fakes campaign is working with content creators and the beauty industry to highlight the potential harms of counterfeit beauty products using visual content, expert evidence and practical consumer advice. The IPO is also working with industry organisations to help beauty businesses protect their customers and supply chains. New guidance for salons, beauty professionals and smaller businesses is being shared through trade bodies. It provides practical advice on identifying warning signs and sourcing products from trusted suppliers.

Face the Fakes: five ways to shop safe

Check who you’re buying from. Look beyond the marketplace or social platform and check the seller behind the listing. Where possible, buy from trusted retailers, official brand websites or authorised sellers.
Question the deal, and don’t be rushed. A discount doesn’t mean something is fake, but an unusually low price can be a warning sign. Be wary of deals or sales tactics that pressure you to buy quickly – pause and think twice before you purchase.
Look beyond the shiny stuff. Don’t rely on convincing imagery or five-star reviews alone. Check the product information, ingredients, company or contact details and other information you’d expect to see. Look beyond the listing for information about the seller.
Pay attention if something feels off. When your product arrives, check the packaging for an ingredients list, batch number, company name and address and any relevant safety warnings. Missing details, blurry print, spelling mistakes or something that looks, smells or feels different from what you expect can be warning signs.
Think it could be fake? Don’t use it – report it. Don’t try it and see. Keep the product, packaging, receipt and seller details, and report your concerns to Trading Standards. Find out more about Face the Fakes and how to shop safe on the Safeglam website.

Councillor and cadet leader guilty of rape and sexual assault

Source: Cambridgeshire Police published on this website Tuesday 3 November 2026 by Jill Powell

Court news

A former local councillor and cadet leader has been found guilty of rape and abusing his position to lure children into sexual activity after messaging them on social media.

Rylan Ray, 26, took advantage of his role as a detachment commander in the Army Cadet Force (ACF) to contact young people on Whatsapp to discuss duties and commitments without suspicion.

The former Peterborough city councillor would then encourage them to engage in Snapchat conversations which would become sexual.

Ray used a fake persona of a teenage girl called Chelsie to extract intimate images from teenagers. He was traced to the fake account when a phone call made from one boy to Chelsie was answered by him and another fake account was linked back to his flat via the IP address.

Photos of Chelsie, including the Snapchat icon, were found on his phone, together with intimate images from six victims that were only ever sent to the fake accounts.

He also told one 16-year-old, who he knew from the cadets and would meet up with on nights out, that as he was a Peterborough licensing officer, he could get him into clubs without ID.

The offences against 11 different victims only came to light in 2025 after two 16th birthday parties at Ray’s home, where he shared with another cadet leader. The parties were attended mostly by cadets or people linked to the cadets and resulted in parents complaining about the drinking and behaviour to the ACF.

Enquiries were made with various children who attended the parties, who then disclosed sexual messaging with Ray, who was also part of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at Stanground Academy and Nene Park Academy schools - both in Peterborough.

Police were made aware in May 2025 and an investigation began, where some children disclosed that as well as the sexual messages, they had been sexually assaulted.

Ray, of Westgate, Peterborough, was arrested the same month and in police interview provided a prepared statement where he accepted that he “may have” become involved in conversations that were unwise in his position as cadet leader but were not, on his part, sexually motivated.

He said he was “truly shocked and disgusted” at being accused of these offences which had “ruined his career”. He then answered no comment to all questions.

In later interviews, he accepted that he received topless images of one child and that some of the messages were sexual, but claimed he never actively encouraged this. However, he also accepted sending a photo of his genitalia to the same young boy, and also sending him pornography.

Ray was charged with a total of 25 offences and media coverage of these charges resulted in a further victim coming forward, who confided that Ray had raped him after they had met on a night out in Peterborough in 2019.

Before his trial began, Ray pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, and causing a child aged 13 to 15 to look at an image of sexual activity.

During the trial he admitted a further two offences of making indecent images of children.

He stood trial to face the other charges at Ipswich Crown Court from 5 October, and after 24 days, jurors found him guilty of 23 further offences. The charges for which he will now be sentenced for include:

Rape a man aged 16 or over
Engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15
Five counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child
Five counts of causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity
Three counts of sexual assault
Three counts of causing or inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity
One count of causing or inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in penetrative sexual activity
Three counts of making indecent photos of a child
One count of possess an extreme pornographic image portraying rape

He will be sentenced at the same court on 8 January.

Detective Constable Gordon Logan, who investigated, said: “The roles Ray held allowed him trusted access to young people, and he seized these opportunities to abuse them sexually.

“We would like to praise the bravery of the children involved in confiding in others what had happened to them. Doing so takes a lot of courage but it was so important that they did, because we then began investigating.

“Many of the victims involved felt they had no choice but to engage in the chats with Ray. In an increasingly digital world, mobile phones and social media mean children can be vulnerable to those who prey on their innocence and exploit their trust.

“We encourage all members of the public to be aware of adults who pay an unusual amount of attention to a child – no matter their profession. Sharing any concerns, no matter how small, can make all the difference.”

For more information and advice on how to keep your children safe online, visit our dedicated web pages.

Fraudster who stole a vulnerable pensioner’s bank card is jailed

Source: Kent Police published on this website Friday 30 October 2026 by Jill Powell

A fraudster who befriended a vulnerable man has been jailed after stealing his bank card and going on a 48-hour shopping spree.

Rachelle Vincent has now been sentenced to 6 years in prison for her crimes.

On 30 March 2023, Vincent attended an address in Tonbridge. The home belonged to a man in his 80s, whom she had targeted at a local café.

After talking for a short while, Vincent returned home with the man, who invited her in to continue their conversation. During the visit, the thief asked to use the toilet and took the opportunity to search through bedroom drawers.

After she had left, the victim later noticed his wallet, containing a sum of cash and his bank card, was missing.

Over the next two days, Vincent was caught on camera using the stolen bank card to make many contactless payments at shops in Paddock Wood and Cranbrook for takeaway food, sweets, alcohol, tobacco, toilet roll, newspapers and magazines. Her spending totalled £349.47.

New report shows toll of Chickenpox with over 3,000 infants hospitalised last year

Source: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published on this website Monday 2 November 2026 by Jill Powell

Children aged 4 to 6 (born between January 2020 and August 2022) can get a catch-up chickenpox vaccine from next week

New figures published today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show the significant burden chickenpox (varicella) placed on young children in England in 2025, in the year before protection against the virus became part of the routine NHS Childhood Vaccination Programme.

The data, published in the Varicella Annual Report 2025, shows there were 3,037 hospitalisations for chickenpox among children and young people under 18.

Monitoring of around a third of GP practices across England also gave a snapshot of those affected in the community. There were over 15,000 GP consultations for chickenpox in under-18s over the course of the year, based on this sample of GP practices.

Children aged 5 and under bore the brunt of the illness, accounting for over 70% of all clinical chickenpox reports made to regional UKHSA Health Protection Teams. The highest rates of those hospitalised were among the youngest children, with those under one year old facing the greatest peak hospitalisation rates (5.8 compared with 2.3 per 100,000 among 1 to 4 year olds).

This report captures only a fraction of the true national burden of chickenpox. Last year, within a relatively small sample of 439 nurseries and primary schools 4,117 absences were recorded. Many parents also do not seek medical advice or treatment for the illness, which for many can be mild and managed at home, meaning many more cases will go unrecorded.

From 1 January 2026, protection against chickenpox has been added to the routine childhood immunisation schedule as part of a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Children are offered 2 doses, the first at 12 months old and the second at 18 months old, alongside their other routine vaccinations.

Children under 12 months are not routinely vaccinated, as the vaccine does not always produce a strong immune response at this age. Under 1s rely on indirect protection from those eligible (from 1 year of age) being vaccinated and providing ‘herd immunity’, as is also the case with measles, mumps and rubella.

A selective catch-up programme is also running from next month. From 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2028, a single dose of the MMRV vaccine will be offered to children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 who have not previously had chickenpox, or 2 doses of varicella vaccine. These children will already have been offered two MMR vaccines as part of their childhood vaccinations.

UKHSA is urging parents of eligible children to come forward for the MMRV vaccine, to protect their children from chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella - all serious illnesses that can require hospital treatment and can cause longer term health complications.

Dr Gavin Dabrera, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

Chickenpox might seem like a mild illness that children simply have to get through, but these figures reveal the true toll this nasty disease can inflict on children especially the very young, with thousands of hospital admissions and school absences every year.

The good news is that children are now able to get protected against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella, through just two doses of the free NHS MMRV vaccine – given at 12 and 18 months. No parent wants to see their children needlessly suffering in hospital. That is why it’s so important that all parents of eligible children, as well as the older catch-up groups, get their children vaccinated as soon as invited.

Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, said:

Chickenpox can be really unpleasant for children and, in some cases, lead to serious complications. We want every child to have the healthiest possible start in life, which is why we introduced the chickenpox vaccine into the routine childhood programme.

I am encouraging every eligible family to make sure their child gets the MMRV vaccine, helping to protect them against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella.

Dr Amanda Doyle, Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said:

The NHS is making it easier than ever before to get a vaccine, which is the best way we can protect children from preventable illness.

Our catchup programme for MMRV jabs means children can receive protection against chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella through a single vaccination, saving them from the risk of a hospital visit or something even worse.

So please come forward for care if you are eligible.

'Lord of Fraud’ Hugh Rodley admits child sexual abuse offences

Source: National Crime Agency published on this website Thursday 29 October 2026 by Jill Powell

A self-appointed lord convicted of two multi-million-pound frauds has admitted child sexual abuse offences, following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Hugh James Rodley, 79, today (Thurs 22 Oct) appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court and admitted six counts of making indecent images/videos of children (IIOC) and one of possessing IIOC.

NCA officers arrested him at his home in Ballandine Crescent, Stoke Orchard, Cheltenham, on 4 December last year for unrelated alleged offences.

Investigators found a Hewlett Packard laptop which contained 198 IIOC, including 19 at category A (the most severe), 12 at category B and 167 at category C.

In addition, Rodley had searched at least 806 times on his laptop for paedophilic content.

He was released on bail but officers arrested him again on 27 January this year when he claimed he did not have a mobile phone.

Officers searched his property and found an Apple iPhone which contained further IIOC material.

Examination showed he used the phone almost immediately after being bailed to continue searching for further child sexual abuse content.

The phone contained 295 indecent images of children: five at category A, 13 category B images and 277 category C images.

Rodley, who will return to court for sentencing on 22 November, was sentenced to eight years in jail in 2009 for trying to steal £229m from a Japanese bank.

In 2012 he was given an additional seven years behind bars after being convicted of conning more than 700 pensioners out of £6m.

In June 2016 he was sentenced to a further seven years in prison after failing to repay more than £1.2m.

NCA senior investigating officer Andy Lawton said: “Protecting children from sexual abuse is a priority for the National Crime Agency.

“Rodley can now add helping fuel the sickening trade in child sexual abuse to his list of offences. Behind each of these images is a vulnerable child who has been exploited to gratify the depraved desires of paedophiles.”

Help and advice for children, parents and carers from the NCA’s CEOP Education Team can be found at www.thinkuknow.co.uk