Man fined for selling fake weight loss pills

A man has been fined more than £1,000 for selling fake weight loss pills.

The pills, named Slimbod and found at a retailer in Hull city centre, were claimed to be a "fat metaboliser".

The trading standards team at Hull City Council tested the pills and found they did not support weight loss because they did not contain choline, an ingredient listed on the packaging.

Spencer Barron, the owner of WHS Sports Nutrition, was found guilty on 5 July of four counts of breaching the Nutrition and Health Claims (England) Regulations 2007 and ordered to pay more than £1,000 in fines and costs.

The fake pills had been marketed and distributed across the country by the Essex-based company.

An investigation into the ingredients of the pills was carried out by Trading Standards after concerns were highlighted by the Food Standards Agency.

Barron had pleaded not guilty at Beverley Magistrates' Court on 27 October last year.

Charles Quinn, portfolio holder for trading standards at Hull City Council, said: "This case once again highlights the scope and significance of the work the trading standards team does.

"They are dedicated to making sure products are safe, and are what they claim to be.

"In this case, these so-called slimming pills were a con, and a waste of money."

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