Thousands of 'dangerous' teeth whiteners seized in Warwickshire

Eleanor Lake, a trading standards officer with Warwickshire County Council, shows off some of the 15,398 teeth whitening products they have seized

More than 15,000 "dangerous" teeth whitening products have been seized by trading standards officers.

Some intercepted items contained more than 33% hydrogen peroxide, Warwickshire County Council said.

The maximum legal limit for use by the general public is 0.1%, or 6% for dentists and other registered practitioners.

The total value of 15,398 products taken since May 2015 is an estimated £100,000.

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A joint operation by trading standards officers based in Coventry's Parcelforce International Hub and the UK Border Force led to the seizures.

John Horner, the county council's cabinet member for community safety, said less stringent safety procedures around imported products presented a risk to residents.

"Unfortunately, in many areas of the world, consumers do not get the same levels of protection UK shoppers expect and receive, and products we consider dangerous are regularly manufactured and sold," he said.