Halloween costumes are already in the shops, and whether you’re a last-minute shopper or someone who is already thinking about getting a suitably spooky outfit for your children ahead of Halloween, there are a few things you need to know about costume safety.

Make sure you are buying from legitimate sellers and check the labels of costumes and other toys including face paints, wigs or masks to make sure they have either a UKCA or CE mark. Either of these marks mean that the product complies with required safety standards, so it’s the closest thing to a safety guarantee that you can get.

Secondly, take some time to check any labels and look out for the words: “This garment has undergone additional safety testing for flammability.” ALL parts of your costume should be flame retardant.

Finally, check whether your Halloween costumes are subject to a product recall. The Office for Product Safety and Standards has full details of products have been recalled because of safety concerns.

If you're planning a firework display at home for Bonfire Night or Diwali, here's what you need to know:

• Make sure you buy fireworks from a licensed retailer, both in-store and online. Do not buy fireworks from unknown retailers on social media sites.
• Store fireworks in their original packaging. Lock them away from children and animals.
• Remember that the cut-off for fireworks on Bonfire Night is midnight, and that for Diwali it's 1am.
• Make sure you read ALL of the instructions on the box. If you don't understand them, don't set off the fireworks.
• Tell your neighbours that you'll be having a firework display so they can make any arrangements for pets etc.
• Keep all cats and dogs inside and give outdoor pets extra bedding so they can burrow in.
• Ensure that fireworks are out, soak them in water overnight, then put them in a rubbish bag and in the bin.

Earlier this month energy prices increased and unscrupulous scammers are trying to take advantage of this.

During a two week period in September alone, Action Fraud received more than 1,500 reports about scam emails about energy rebates. In these phishing emails the scammers claim to be from the energy regulator Ofgem and ask the recipient to change their bank details or provide personal information to receive funding or cheap energy.

Ofgem will never ask you for personal information and you don’t need to do anything to receive £400 off your energy bills this winter. Ofgem will also never sell you energy or show up at your house.

Trading Standards are receiving reports of traders selling plugs / energy saving boxes that claim to save residents money on their energy bills. There is no evidence to back up these claims and current research shows that they do not provide any meaningful savings.  

If you are looking for advice about your energy bills, speak to your energy provider. You can also help manage your bills by making your home energy efficient. Did you know you could save £65 a year just by turning your thermostat down by 1 degree? You could also save £45 a year by turning your appliances off instead of leaving them on standby.

If a Trading Standards Officer attends your home for a scam visit, how can you make sure they are who they say they are?

Our Trading Standards Officers will always carry ID. They will never put pressure on you or ask for money, and if they call at an inconvenient time they won’t be offended it you say no and ask them to come back at a different time.

A recent report published by the Centre for Social Justice estimated that 1.08 million people in England are currently using loan sharks. Loan sharks are illegal moneylenders who do not have a licence to lend money. They charge extortionate rates of interest and threaten significant harm to borrowers if they can’t make their repayments.

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to spot loan sharks. They can take many guises and operate in a variety of ways. You can help to protect your community from loan sharks by learning the signs of illegal lending and reporting it.

Hollyoaks actor Adam Rickett recently revealed that he has been scammed out of ‘tens of thousands of pounds’ in an elaborate bank fraud, proving that anyone can be the victim of a scam. In the actor’s case, the criminals were able to manipulate their Caller ID (Caller Display) to make it look like there were calling from the actor’s bank. He was then duped into giving the scammers access to his account allowing them to steal his money.

If you receive any unexpected calls asking for personal details, including calls from your bank, our advice is to end the call immediately.  We would then recommend contacting the bank, or organisation in question using their official contact details. If it is a bank, these can usually be found on the back of your Debit or Credit card.

Alternatively, you can contact your bank by dialling 159 from your phone.  Many banks are now part of a new project called Stop Scams UK.  Calling 159 will allow you to be connected to your bank’s fraud team who will be able to offer further advice.