Illegal goods and dog seized in high street raids

Illegal tobacco, a suspected dangerous dog and counterfeit vapes were among the seizures made during an operation in the West Midlands.

Seven high street shops in Lye, Dudley, were raided on Wednesday as part of a police and council crackdown on illicit trading.

Along with finding the illegal products and the dog, officers discovered some of the the electricity in the stores had also been tampered with.

All of the businesses were now part of a criminal investigation being led by Trading Standards at Dudley Council, West Midlands Police said.

Insp Chloe Morgan said the operation sent a "strong message" that officers will take action to shut illicit traders down.

"We'll continue working with our partners local authorities to act on any reports and intelligence we receive," she added.

"This operation wasn't a one-off and we'll continue our fight to tackle illegal activity on our high streets."

The raids came after the force was one of three across the country to have been given extra funding from the Home Office to tackle shops selling illegal goods.

Councillor Daniel Bevan, of Dudley Council, said its Trading Standards team was working tirelessly to protect legitimate businesses, consumers and communities.

"This operation sends a clear message that illegal trading will not be tolerated in Dudley borough," he added.

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