THOUSANDS of illegal cigarettes with a market value of £12,000 were seized from a Witney house in an enforcement raid.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards, with Thames Valley Police officers and specialist sniffer dogs, discovered the cigarettes at a property in Highworth Place yesterday.

The intelligence-led raid involved six Trading Standards staff and 12 police officers and took several hours, but Jody Kerman, the county council's operations manager for Trading Standards, said it was 'calm and controlled'.

This is the biggest single haul of the council's 'Keep It Out' campaign to crack down on illegal tobacco, which includes public engagement events and increased enforcement.

Mr Kerman said: “All tobacco is harmful. But illegal tobacco poses an additional threat to our children and communities, because it is sold at pocket money prices by criminals who may not be interested in asking for proof of age.

“We’re committed to helping people live safe, healthy lives; cracking down on the illegal tobacco trade is one of our top priorities.

“Smoking remains a major cause of premature death. We also know that the availability of cheap, illegal tobacco helps recruit the next generation of smokers and undermines initiatives to help adults quit smoking.”

Enquiries are ongoing, so Mr Kerman could not reveal if any arrests were made.

The operations manager said there was 'evidence to suggest' the illegal tobacco market has grown in Oxfordshire, alongside an increased 'acknowledgement' of the UK illegal tobacco market.

In August, Cherwell District Council officers say they caught International Supermarket on Banbury High Street selling illegal smuggled tobacco in a sting operation.

The sale of illegal tobacco is a criminal offence that can result in imprisonment and unlimited fines.

Anyone wishing to report the selling of illegal tobacco can do so anonymously online stop-illegal-tobacco.co.uk.

Alternatively, call the Illegal Tobacco Hotline on 0300 999 6 999.