Oxford Street candy shops could face court action

By Hannah Neary, Local Democracy Reporter

Oxford Street candy shops could face court action after raids with tax officers.

Westminster City council is working with HMRC as it ramps up its crackdown against American candy stores and souvenir shops selling dodgy goods along the iconic route.

The authority has spent months targeting shops selling fake and counterfeit products in the West End, like out-of-date chocolates and unsafe vapes.

So far, the council has seized about £600,000 worth of dodgy goods from US-themed sweet shops and souvenir stores.

Westminster’s trading standards team is now working with HMRC and has been buying items from the stores and testing them to help with prosecutions, a new report by officials has revealed.

It said: “The team has been processing evidence for prosecutions and have carried out test purchases to support the prosecutions.

“The service was also gathering evidence for a closure order at one premise, though this is on hold because the business is now compliant.

“After a joint visit with the HMRC to some premises, we will investigate whether any other closure orders on Oxford Street are necessary.”

Enforcement officers have found the stores are often owned by shell companies with no assets.

Council leader Adam Hug previously said the authority needed help from HMRC and other organisations to try and tackle money laundering.

Pictured top: A stash of illegal goods (Picture: Adam Hug/Westminster City council)