Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Illegal cigarettes and vapes seized during Tower Hamlets raid

Illegal cigarettes and vapes seized during Tower Hamlets raid
Sniffer dogs Pippa and Rex with the counterfeit and illicit tobacco seized from the containers near Chrisp Street market in Tower Hamlets, London

Illegal tobacco worth more than £28,000 and banned vape liquids have been seized during a two-day raid in Tower Hamlets, London.

Officers from Tower Hamlets Council’s Trading Standards team were joined by sniffer dogs Pippa and Rex to uncover the counterfeit and illicit tobacco from containers and shops in the borough.


The biggest haul was found in a container near to Chrisp Street Market, where officers seized 40,000 illicit cigarettes and 23,680 counterfeit cigarettes, as well as hand-rolling and smuggled tobacco.

The Trading Standards team also targeted shops illegally selling vape liquid and nitrous oxide.

They seized 200 bottles of a type of vaping liquid which is banned in this country due to its strength, and 26 1.5kg cylinders and 250 canisters of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, which can lead users to suffocate or experience permanent nerve damage.

“Illegal and counterfeit tobacco are a real issue in our community, and we must work together to stamp it out,” Cllr Kabir Hussain, lead member for environment and climate, said.

“I encourage everyone to report any suspected sales to our Trading Standards team so we can take the appropriate action and keep our communities safe.”

More for you

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sybren Attema, and Betty Eekchaut

Presidents Sybren Attema, FrieslandCampina, and Betty Eekchaut, Milcobel

Yazoo parent FrieslandCampina announces merger with Belgian rival Milcobel

Dutch dairy collective FrieslandCampina has agreed to merge with smaller Belgian rival Milcobel, creating a leading dairy cooperative.

FrieslandCampina, whose brands include Yazoo and Chocomel, said the merger will provide the foundation for a future-oriented organisation that has dairy front and centre for member dairy farmers, employees, consumers, and customers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Shoplifting. Man Stealing In Supermarket
Photo: iStock

Home Office reaffirms commitment to abolish £200 shoplifting threshold

The UK government has pledged stronger measures to combat anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, which it acknowledges as serious crimes that disrupt communities and harm businesses.

Addressing a House of Lords debate on Monday, Home Office minister Lord Hanson detailed plans to abolish the controversial £200 shoplifting threshold and to introduce a new offence for assaults on retail workers.

Keep ReadingShow less
post office store
Photo: Post Office Ltd

Post Office launches wellbeing hub to support postmasters amid rising retail crime

In response to the mounting pressures faced by postmasters across the UK, the Post Office has unveiled a centralised wellbeing platform aimed at simplifying access to support resources.

Post Office said the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents, documented in the 2024 ACS Crime Report, has only intensified the demand for comprehensive support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira
iStock

Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira

Independent retailers have weathered one of their most challenging years in 2024, with multiple headwinds affecting the sector, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira).

With pressures mounting throughout the year, independent retailers have faced an increasingly difficult trading environment marked by changing consumer behaviour and economic uncertainties.

Keep ReadingShow less