Oxford Street: 'Astonishing' haul of fake items seized by police

Unsafe toys, counterfeit clothing, and incorrectly-labelled nicotine products were taken off the street

Police have seized an "astonishing" haul of fake designer goods and illegal items in pre-Christmas raids in London's Oxford Street.

More than 17,500 items were confiscated in Operation Jade, which saw four souvenir and sweet shops raided on Thursday night.

Officers took unsafe toys, counterfeit clothing, and incorrectly-labelled nicotine products off the street.

An unregistered food business also had 4,000 items removed.

Two bags of food with higher than the legal limit of THC - the main psychoactive compound in cannabis - were also confiscated.

Heather Acton, from Westminster City Council, said shoppers needed to be able to trust the products they were buying from the busiest shopping street in London.

'Cheap imitations'

"The quantity and variety of goods seized by our officers is astonishing," she said. "Many of these goods are unsafe and certainly unhealthy.

"From cheap imitations of fashionable products to mislabelled tobacco, and even psychoactive substances, it's vital that we protect customers and get these products off the shelves.

"This Christmas is make or break for many high street shops, and checking retailers will support legitimate businesses and protect the reputation of the West End as a leading destination for shoppers."

Officers seized 2,500 souvenirs from unregistered businesses and illegal street traders

Meanwhile, Trading Standards officers seized 11,000 goods and about 2,500 souvenirs from unregistered businesses and illegal street traders.

Health and safety officers also served three notices for unsafe electrical goods and poor safety standards within premises.