Five thousand illegal cigarettes have been seized from a shop in Orpington.

Officers from Bromley’s Trading Standards confiscated the tobacco products, worth around £1,750, following a joint visit with the HMRC.

The cigarettes are suspected to be imported from Eastern Europe and fail to comply with safety regulations requiring them to display health warning labels.

Investigations are ongoing with the shop’s owners.

Councillor Tim Stevens, public protection and safety portfolio holder, said the action demonstrates a commitment to tackling illegal tobacco products.

He said: “Availability of these illicit products not only encourages people to keep smoking, and young people to take up the habit, but it also undermines the local economy through tax evasion.”

Coun Stevens urged anyone who knows of shops in the borough selling illegal cigarettes to report them to Trading Standards.