The goods were seized from three city centre shops

Hundreds of counterfeit goods and large quantities of illegal vapes and tobacco worth thousands of pounds have been seized from three shops in Sheffield city centre.

The haul was uncovered by Sheffield City Council's Trading Standards team after officers carried out test purchases of phone accessories, which were found to be counterfeit.

Counterfeit phone cases, accessories, toys, gadgets and keyrings were all seized during the operation - alongside illegal vapes and tobacco.

Since June 1, 2025, shops can only sell reusable vapes that are refillable, rechargeable and have a replaceable coil.

Retailers must also buy tobacco and vape products from legitimate suppliers and ensure products are correctly labelled with the required health warnings in English.

The council said the action is part of its ongoing work to disrupt illegal and dangerous trading and protect consumers from unsafe products.

Councillor Mark Rusling, Chair of Sheffield City Council's Environmental Services and Regulation Policy Committee, said: "This shows the importance of our trading standards officers' work.

“It's such a good outcome for consumers and for shops selling goods that are genuine and safe.

“Many consumers might not be aware at all, or might only have some awareness, of the dangers posed by using items that aren't what they say they are.

“When you're buying goods that have the brand stated on them, you would assume that they are genuine.

“We're finding that often they are not. Traders who continually break the law and cause harm will be made accountable for their crimes.

“Illegal traders absolutely need to recognise the harm they cause."

The council is urging shoppers to think carefully about where they buy goods from and to check for signs that products may not be genuine, such as poor-quality packaging, unclear branding, missing safety markings or prices that seem too good to be true.

Councillor Rusling added: "We're here to ensure your safety and to make sure that you have access to safe and genuine goods, not goods that can explode, catch fire or harm you.

"Our work continues around the sale of all consumer goods and in particular we're focusing on protecting the next generation from tobacco harm and those who target them with vapes.

“Everyone, including children and young people, needs to be safe from harm and we are determined to make sure that they are not put at risk wherever possible."

The Trading Standards team said it will continue carrying out enforcement work to tackle the sale of counterfeit goods, illegal tobacco and illegal vapes across Sheffield.