Key points
- A fraud of £8.5m involving two Merseyside men is set to be heard at Liverpool Crown Court.
- According to reports from the Liverpool Echo, the two men are Alastair Ramage aged 44 from York Close, Formby and Ian Barnes aged 53 from Southport Road in Lydiate.
- This case is associated with the importation and marketing of teeth whitening products with some being reported to violate UK laws concerning the permissible limits of hydrogen peroxide.
- Proceeds from the fraud were sent to an account in Euro Pacific Bank in Puerto Rico, which has since been shut down.
- As reported by the Liverpool Echo, proceeds were spent in luxury lifestyles, £16,000 in purchasing a cap and over £100,000 with one travel company.
- The men have even gone as far as designing swimming pools with the shape of a tooth.
- The sentencing will take place on October 23, 2026.
Liverpool Crime (Liverpool standard) October 23, 2026 – Two Merseyside men are due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court over an alleged £8.5m tax fraud connected to the import and sale of teeth whitening products.
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Alastair Ramage, 44, of York Close in Formby, and Ian Barnes, 53, of Southport Road in Lydiate, were scheduled to appear before the court on Friday, October 23. The publication reported that the case involves £8.5m in stolen tax linked to teeth whitening goods brought into the UK and sold to customers.
The Liverpool Echo stated that the pair were involved in importing and selling teeth whitening products, many of which breached UK regulations on permitted levels of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent commonly used in teeth whitening products, and UK rules set limits on how much may be used in products available to consumers.
What are the men accused of?
According to the Liverpool Echo, the fraud concerned tax connected to the import and sale of the whitening products. The report did not provide further detail about the specific charges, the length of the alleged fraud, or the businesses involved.
The publication reported that money linked to the fraud was paid into an account held with Euro Pacific Bank in Puerto Rico. It said that bank has since closed.
The Liverpool Echo also reported that proceeds from the alleged fraud were used to fund lavish lifestyles. These included spending £16,000 on a cap and more than £100,000 with a single holiday company.
What did the court hear about the spending?
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the alleged proceeds were linked to high-value personal spending. The report said that Ramage and Barnes drew up plans for swimming pools shaped like teeth.
The Liverpool Echo did not report the outcome of the sentencing hearing at the time of publication. It stated only that the men were due to be sentenced following the fraud, which involved £8.5m in tax.
No details were reported about whether the men had entered pleas, what sentences prosecutors were seeking, or whether further confiscation proceedings would follow. This article therefore does not make assumptions beyond the information published by the Liverpool Echo.
Why does hydrogen peroxide matter?
The Liverpool Echo reported that many of the teeth whitening products involved breached UK regulations on permitted hydrogen peroxide levels. The report did not identify the products, suppliers, customers, or any evidence of harm caused to people who used them.
UK rules on teeth whitening products are intended to control the concentration of bleaching agents in goods sold to the public. The Liverpool Echo described the products in this case as potentially dangerous, but did not report specific medical incidents or regulatory enforcement action against individual products.
What happens next?
The next reported stage is the sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court. The Liverpool Echo said Ramage and Barnes were due to appear on Friday, October 23, 2026.
Any sentence imposed by the court would follow the legal process in the case. The report did not state whether the men would be sentenced for the same offences, whether they would receive immediate custody, suspended sentences, fines, or other penalties.
Background of the development
The case centres on allegations that teeth whitening products were imported and sold while tax connected to the activity was not properly accounted for. The Liverpool Echo reported that the alleged fraud amounted to £8.5m in stolen tax.
The publication also reported that funds connected to the case were moved through an account at Euro Pacific Bank in Puerto Rico, a bank it said has since closed. The alleged proceeds were said to have supported luxury spending, including a £16,000 cap and more than £100,000 paid to one holiday company.
The reported plans for tooth-shaped swimming pools were also cited by the Liverpool Echo as part of the lifestyle funded by the alleged proceeds. The case was listed for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on October 23, 2026.
How could this affect consumers and traders?
For consumers, the case highlights the importance of checking that teeth whitening products comply with UK rules before purchase or use. Products containing hydrogen peroxide above permitted levels may be subject to regulatory restrictions, and buyers should follow the manufacturer’s instructions and seek advice from a qualified dental professional where unsure.
For traders, importers and online sellers, the reported case shows that tax compliance and product-safety rules can both be examined in fraud investigations. Businesses involved in importing cosmetic or dental products may face scrutiny over customs declarations, VAT and duty records, product formulations, and the movement of payments through overseas accounts.
For Merseyside residents, the sentencing may provide more detail about how the alleged fraud operated and what penalties the court considers appropriate. The outcome could also affect public confidence in teeth whitening services and products sold locally, particularly where consumers cannot easily verify the concentration of active ingredients.
