A raid on an American Candy store on Oxford Street resulted in the seizure of an estimated £55,000 worth of illegal vapes and banned sweets.
Westminster City Council said that officers took possession of over 2,000 items from the store.
This included fake designer phone covers, supersized vapes, banned American sweets and electrical equipment that did not have UK safety stickers.
US sweets like Hot Tamales, Swedish Fish, Jolly Rancher gummies and Twizzlers contain ingredients like bleached flour and mineral oil which are banned in the UK.
The ingredients have been linked to hyperactivity in children and cancer, according to the Charted Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).
CTSI Chief Executive John Herriman said:
“We ask that all persons placing these products on the market, including the suppliers and retailers take their responsibilities seriously in this matter and urgently remove items from sale that contain unauthorised ingredients.
If shop owners are unsure of what items are safe to sell, they should contact their local Trading Standards service for support and advice.”
The seized haul also included disposable vapes that are twice the legal limit for nicotine.
Adam Hug, leader of Westminster Council said on X, “Unscrupulous traders can expect a visit from us soon.”
US sweets with banned additives, illegal vapes & electrical goods with no safety certificates – all in a haul worth £55,000 seized from a West End shop yesterday by @CityWestminster trading standards. Unscrupulous traders can expect a visit from us soon.https://t.co/YeaHBvnXWE
— Cllr Adam Hug (@leader_wcc) February 1, 2024
