Oxfordshire 'Tobacco dogs' sniff out fake cigarettes

Yoyo the detection dog helped sniff out the cigarettes

Two specially-trained "tobacco dogs" have helped trading standards officers seize almost 6,000 cigarettes suspected to be counterfeit in Oxfordshire.

Yoyo and Cooper took part in operations in Oxford, Bicester and Banbury as part of a series of operations by the county council to seize smuggled and fake tobacco products.

The dogs sniffed out the cigarettes from a vehicle linked to a shop.

They also helped discover 21kg of shisha tobacco from another shop.

Nearly 6,000 suspected fake cigarettes were seized by trading standards

Trading standards said its investigation was "ongoing with the seized products being fully assessed for compliance".

Head of Trading Standards Jody Kerman said: "Criminals dealing in illegal tobacco provide a cheap source of supply that can easily end up in the hands of young people whose developing lungs are particularly sensitive to the harm tobacco causes."

"It also encourages adults to carry on smoking, when giving up would dramatically improve their health and wealth," he added.