They swooped on pubs, off-licences, shops and homes in a one-day operation with customs officers after complaints from the public.

Among the items they confiscated were large amounts of tobacco and counterfeit vodka. They seized more than 17,000 illegal cigarettes, along with 15kg of loose tobacco and bottles of Glens Vodka, most of which are believed to be fake.
The rest of the items are believed to be non-UK duty paid.

Wigan Council's Chief Trading Standards Officer Julie Middlehurst said the teams were reacting to complaints made by members of the public – some of whom had noted illegal operations going on right on their doorsteps.

She said: "One of the most alarming aspects about this operation was that someone at a private house in Leigh was selling tobacco openly via the front door."

Ms Middlehurst said: "People often think they are just buying genuine cigarettes cheaply but the majority were counterfeit and therefore there are no controls over what harmful substances may have been used to make them.

"We are concerned about the seemingly widespread availability of counterfeits in the area and our investigations are continuing."
The team urges anyone with information about illegal sales of tobacco and alcohol to call the Consumer Direct helpline in confidence on 08454 04 05 06 (calls charged at local rate).