MORE than 50,000 illegal cigarettes and almost 300 packets of hand-rolling tobacco were seized by Worcestershire County Council’s Trading Standards officers in Redditch earlier this year.

The cigarettes and tobacco were seized earlier this year by Trading Standards teams accompanied by specialist detection dogs from Wagtail UK.

They were found in two retail premises in Evesham and Redditch, and had a street value of more than £20,000.

It makes up more than seven million illegal cigarettes and 478kg of hand rolling tobacco seized in the last financial year (2017/2018), with a loss to the taxpayer of nearly £2million.

Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor Lucy Hodgson, said: "Far from being a victimless crime, illegal tobacco trade creates a cheap source for children and young people.

"Whilst all tobacco is harmful, the illegal tobacco market, and in particular the availability of cheap cigarettes, undermines government health policies aimed at reducing the cost to the NHS of treating diseases caused by smoking. The loss to the taxpayer means less money being spent on local communities, schools and the NHS."

Perpetrators are getting more inventive with hiding places in shops, which can include sophisticated concealments using electronic magnets controlled by a switches, hydraulic compartments in floors, false back to a fridge, as well as cavity wall compartments.

Shops involved in these activities risk having their alcohol licences suspended or revoked for dealing with illegal tobacco products.

Illegal tobacco products can usually be easily recognised.

They will be very cheap, often less than half the price of legitimate packets and often have foreign writing on them.

Anyone being offered cheap tobacco or any other types of illicit goods is being ask to report it to Trading Standards by calling 0300 3032636.