Some ‘fake’ goodstaken off the shelves in the latest shop raids

MORE than £200,000 of suspected fake goods have been confiscated from sweet stores and souvenir shops along Oxford Street following new trading standards raids.

Westminster City Council said it took 14,000 products, including counterfeit designer watches and unsafe vapes, as part of its latest battle against rogue businesses in the famous shopping area.

The council’s trading standards team and Met police confiscated around £215,000 of suspected fake goods from two shops in Oxford Street last Tuesday.
Officers seized multiple items with suspected false designer labels including more than 3,500 designer phone cases, around 100 iPods, PlayStation controllers, jewellery, hoodies and “Rolex” watches.

They found swathes of unsafe products including 8,000 disposable vapes suspected to contain illegal nicotine levels and tank sizes, products without English warnings and safety labels and shisha products without health warnings.

In addition, hundreds of children’s toys, power banks, and electrical chargers without safety labels were also taken in.

Labour city council leader Adam Hug said: “We all know there has been an explosion of these stores on Oxford Street…

“The reality is these stores are a threat to the status and value of what is supposed to be the nation’s premier shopping street.”

The council has currently 30 open investigations into 30 American-themed candy and souvenir stores in the West End concerning business rates.

Cllr Hug said: “We have just launched a new vision for Oxford Street to make it more attractive to visitors. That means attracting high-value retail tenants, giving a chance to entrepreneurs through pop-up business spots on Oxford Street, and cracking down on dodgy sweet shops which leave a sour taste in the mouth for people who go in them.”