Around £21,000 worth of skin lightening products have been raided from a Romford shop in east London.
Havering Council’s trading standards officers seized 1,400 items including soaps, serums, creams and lotions from a retailer, which can not be named due to ongoing investigations.
Skin lightening items are illegal to sell in the UK and some of the products contained banned ingredients such as mercury, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids.
All are known to have extremely harmful side effects.
Those responsible for selling the products could be fined or even face prison if they are convicted of the crime.
Havering Council said it will continue to investigate the skin-lightening products and will organise further samples to be taken from the seized items.
Council leader Ray Morgon said: “This is fantastic work by our trading standards and enforcement officers working in partnership with the police.
“Any business in our borough found selling products that are harmful and breach regulations, are treated extremely seriously by the Council and like this example, are thoroughly investigated by our officers.
“We regularly make test-purchase visits to businesses to help make sure our residents and customers are kept safe.”
