OFFICERS in Kidderminster seized around £4,000 worth of illegal tobacco from two shops in the town centre.

West Mercia Police discovered a hidden compartment in one of the shops on Blackwell Street, with the aid of a tobacco search dog.

Thousands of pounds worth of illegal tobacco was seized by police, who were working alongside Worcestershire Trading Standards.

Following the incident, which happened on Wednesday afternoon (June 16), officers confirmed that prosecutions will now follow.

People who have information on illegal or counterfeit goods are asked to visit www.worcestershirets.gov.uk.

Previously, businesses in Wyre Forest were warned by Trading Standards officers to remain vigilant and not to buy goods from people they don’t know or trust.

This followed a number of recent incidents in the county were shop owners claimed to have bought unsafe or counterfeit goods from ‘an unknown man in a van.’

Trading Standards officers have seized over 100,000 cigarettes in 2021 and are warning shops in the County to buy cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco from a wholesalers or suppliers registered with HMRC.

In another recent incident, officers found 92 non-compliant toys on sale in a shop in Worcester.

Simon Wilkes, Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services added: “There is only one winner in these situations and it’s not the child who gets the latest toy or the smoker who gets cheap cigarettes, or the retailer who ends up in Court. It’s the chancer and “fly by nights who sell this stuff and in the case of counterfeit goods, it’s the global network of criminals who controls this hugely profitable trade.”