A STASH of illegal tobacco worth nearly £4,000 was found in a car parked behind a shop in the Forest of Dean.

An officer from Gloucestershire Trading Standards found the illicit cache in the car and there was evidence linking the vehicle to the shop.

Trading Standards have declined to say where in the Forest the shop is located.

Officers seized 343 packets of cigarettes and 97 pouches of hand rolling tobacco and included counterfeit copies of brands such as Amber Leaf and Lambert and Butler, with a value of approximately £3,800.

Trading Standards officers carry out routine inspections of stores across the county to ensure illegal products are not being sold to the public.

They say it is increasingly common for stores to keep illegaltobacco off premises to avoid it being found during any inspections.

The Trading Standards investigation into the store is ongoing.

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet member responsible for Trading Standards at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Our Trading Standards officers carry out regular inspections of stores across the county to ensure they are not selling illegal products.

“No one benefits from shops selling illegal tobacco and vape products, and our teams work hard to prevent these items being sold.”