Watchdog Daily follows hallmark trail to Birmingham Assay Office

Local presenter Shefali Oza and the TV crew followed the exercise as Trading Standards officer (TSO) Gary Singh and his colleagues uncovered 90 items, with a retail value of more than £25,000, which were un-hallmarked or suspected of bearing fake trademarks.

Only four items were discovered to have hallmarks and 14 items transpired to be significantly less than 22 carat. The two traders involved now face legal action. The programme is due to be broadcast at 11am on 16 November.

Hallmarking has been the big drive for the Assay Office recently, as it also hosted a hallmarking course for 20 Trading Standards delegates.

The course included the history of hallmarking, and current legislation; a hands-on session to identify hallmarks on new and second hand jewellery; and the opportunity to visit the hallmarking floor at the Birmingham Assay Office.

Marion Wilson, sales and marketing director for the Birmingham Assay Office, said: “The arrival of the Watchdog team and this very successful training course have come at a pertinent moment.

“The inaugural Touchstone Award lunch, hosted at Goldsmiths’ Hall, celebrates the first winners of the British Hallmarking Council’s Touchstone Award on 22 November. This new event rewards the best initiative for the education or enforcement of hallmarking and is intended to raise the profile of hallmarking within Trading Standards.

“It is to be hoped that the additional training they receive at Goldsmiths’ Hall, plus the publicity generated by Watchdog, will motivate them and their colleagues in other local authorities, to deliver even better enforcement of hallmarking in future, protecting the consumer and the trade.”