Over £100,000 of illegal vapes and illicit tobacco have been seized from a flat in Stoke-on-Trent.

Two patrolling officers saw three men "acting suspiciously" around Market Street in Longton on 1 September and a search of the men led to the discovery of a huge haul of counterfeit goods.

In a later search of a nearby flat, police alongside Trading Standards uncovered 5,525 packets of illicit cigarettes, 906 packets of illicit tobacco and 484 illegal vapes. The goods are estimated to be worth around £116,000.

Inspector Rebecca Price, from the Stoke-on-Trent south local policing team (LPT), said: "We are committed to tackling the trade of illicit and illegal goods in Stoke-on-Trent.

"These items are often used by organised crime groups to fund criminal activity and can pose serious health risks to local communities."

Cllr Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "We will not tolerate the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes, and I welcome this action taken by Staffordshire Police and our Trading Standards team.

"They work hard to remove illegal tobacco and vapes off the streets to keep all residents safe and make sure legal businesses are not being undermined.

"This work is part of the city council's commitment to creating a cleaner, greener and safer city for all and the message we are sending out is clear: you will face serious consequences if you choose to sell illegal products."