Numerous Watford businesses were found to have broken trading licenses after illegal items were seized.

The Community Safety Unit at Hertfordshire Police, Watford Borough Council and Hertfordshire Trading Standards team checked over 80 businesses to find out if shops were complying with the law.

Between April 1 and June 30, they found 65 per cent of businesses visited were breaking the law.

The items seized included illegal vapes, cigarettes, counterfeit clothing and alcohol.

Yesterday (August 15), Herts Police declined to reveal which businesses were caught, citing several ongoing legal cases.

They added that "many of the premises inspected were found to have hidden illicit stock in several places including behind the till, in roof spaces, offices and vehicles".

Jo Tomkins, Police Senior Licensing Officer in the CSU, said: “We work closely with our partners at Hertfordshire Trading Standards to enforce the terms and conditions of the premises licences in Watford and to ensure they are trading safely and legally.

“Businesses in Watford have a responsibility and duty of care to their customers and the wider community. They should not be involved in activities that exacerbate local crime levels and undermine the licensing objectives.”

All of the illegal stock has been taken away to be destroyed and this is resulting in several businesses being recommended for review.