
Urgent warning to parents over THOUSANDS of illegal drug-laced sweets including ‘magic mushroom cookies' flooding UK
4
A raid on a West End shop uncovered secret supplies of drugs disguised as sweets
Credit: Central News
4
The store had labelled the mushrooms with vague names including Game Over and Magic Dragon
Credit: Central News
4
CBD cookies were also seized from the Harry Potter shop next door
Credit: Central News
The Londonero shop on Oxford Street was selling a variety of drugs disguised as everyday desserts.
Investigators from Westminster Council found the American-style candy shop had been selling Magic Dragon cookies - which actually contained
There were three other boxes of cookies labelled Game Over.
When the raid took place on April 25, two shop assistants fled downstairs and escaped using a secret exit.
Read More on Oxford Street
The secret passage was hidden behind a panel in the basement wall which took them back up to street level.
However, by moving the panel, they revealed a room which contained £80,000 worth of fake goods.
The director of the store, Ahmad Yar Jan, told a court that he was happy for the goods to be destroyed by the council.
The
Most read in The Sun
An unnamed individual linked to the wizard-themed shop, ran by 5IVESTAR Limited, appeared in court alongside Yar Jan.
Many of the products which were seized had no English translation on the box, which sparked allergy fears since their contents was unknown.
Sneak peek inside new Oxford Street Ikea
After the arrests, Labour leader of Westminster City Council, Adam Hug, said: ''It is rather ironic that a shop calling itself a Harry Potter store appears to have been selling products that claim they would get the user higher than a quidditch player.
'The food products here were part of a raid at two addresses on Oxford Street which have taken thousands of items worth £80,000 off the streets.
'One of these 'magic cookies' products was labelled game over – however the only game over will be for unscrupulous traders who sell illegal goods to the public."
The news comes as
Adam Hug added: 'We have known for a long time that US candy stores rip off customers, but charging £900 for two packets of sweets is a new low, even for the unscrupulous people who run these rackets.
'Our job is to protect people who visit the
'Hopefully, the fall in the number of US candy and souvenir shops means the tide is going out on this tatty trade.'
4
Authorities have decided to destroy the products
Credit: Central News
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Serial handbag thief stole bag containing €30k worth of cancer medication
A serial handbag thief who stole luggage containing almost €30,000 of cancer medication from an elderly tourist has been jailed for six and half years. Marese Craig (28), described by her own lawyers as a 'nuisance' for plaguing businesses and tourists, also stole a handbag containing holy medals from a mother minding her baby at a neonatal intensive care unit at a Dublin city centre hospital. Craig appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on a multitude of theft offences spanning 10 bills of indictment. She has 191 previous convictions including 18 burglaries, nine robberies, 102 thefts and 16 deception offences. She also has conviction for drugs and public order offences. A serial handbag thief who stole luggage containing almost €30,000 of cancer medication from an elderly tourist has been jailed for six and half years. Pic: Mark Gusev/Shutterstock The court heard Craig's offences were fuelled by a need to get money to buy drugs. She was readily identified on CCTV following most of the offences. She made admissions and expressed regret. Craig, of Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to thefts, burglaries and possession of stolen bank cards at locations across the city centre on dates between 2022 and 2024. Passing sentence today, Judge Orla Crowe made reference to what she felt were the two more serious offences committed by Craig, including the theft of the handbag from a mother who was tending to her baby in the neonatal ward, and the theft of the American tourist's bag. The court heard Craig's offences were fuelled by a need to get money to buy drugs. Pic: Ross Mahon/Shutterstock Judge Crowe said these thefts were 'particularly egregious' while acknowledging that Craig had been upset by the fact that the man's medication was in the bag she stole. The judge said that Craig didn't know the contents of any bag she took during her spate of offending so she has 'to live with the consequences' of the fact that some of those bags may contain items which are of particular importance to the owner. Craig, of Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to thefts, burglaries and possession of stolen bank cards at locations across the city centre on dates between 2022 and 2024. Pic: Mark Gusev/Shutterstock Judge Crowe took into account the fact that Craig was a drug addict and has since expressed remorse for her crimes. She imposed consecutive sentences totalling seven-and-a-half years before she suspended the final 12 months of that term on strict conditions including that Craig engage with the Probation Service for 18 months following her release from prison. Judge Crowe described Craig's offending as 'deplorable' but said the court wished to give her some sort of opportunity to re-enter society in a constructive way. Judge Crowe took into account the fact that Craig was a drug addict and has since expressed remorse for her crimes. Pic: Ross Mahon/Shutterstock An investigating garda told Aoife O'Leary BL, prosecuting, that a 75-year-old American tourist on a long-planned trip to Ireland arrived at a city centre hotel on May 13, 2024 when he noticed one of his bags was missing. The bag contained €27,000 worth of cancer and other medication, an iPad and CPAP machine. Some of the medication was later discovered scattered nearby. His son was able to bring him a fresh supply and he could continue his holiday. Craig was identified from CCTV footage, arrested and interviewed. The court heard she felt bad when the contents were explained to her and her emotions got the better of her. She said she had not realised what was inside. She made admissions and apologised. A file image of the Coombe Hospital. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/ In April 2024, Craig gained access to the neonatal intensive care unit at the Coombe Hospital and stole a handbag belonging to a mother who had left it unattended while she went to care for her child. The bag contained her purse, banks cards, holy medals and vouchers. The woman became aware her bag was missing when notifications appeared on her phone that her cards were being tapped at nearby shops. Craig was identified on CCTV using the card in shops. In March 2023, Craig distracted staff at a city centre restaurant while a co-accused went inside and grabbed cash totalling €2,200 from the manager who was counting it. Craig had asked to use the toilet prior to this and spotted the woman counting cash as she walked around. On another occasion, Craig was attempting to use cards at a store and when they were declined, she used the opportunity to grab €470 from the till. Many of the remaining thefts involved Craig gaining access to staff areas of businesses and restaurants and stealing personal items and bags from staff lockers. She also took handbags from people in restaurants and cafes while they eating their meals. The victims were at a loss of thousands of euro, wallets, bank cards, cash and personal items. Keith Spencer BL, defending, said in these offences Craig's aim was to offend undisturbed, avoiding detection and confrontation. He said she was not vigilant in avoiding detection long term and is clearly visible on CCTV of the thefts and is sometimes looking directly into the camera. Mr Spencer said Craig knows what a nuisance she has been to the city centre and society. He said she had plagued businesses and tourists visiting the city, making it a negative experience for many. He said Craig has had her own share of negative experience. He outlined how the death of her brother had caused a relapse into drug use and the offences were committed in a bid for money or items to convert to money for drugs. He said when she was not offending, she was procuring drugs. Mr Spencer said Craig had become involved in petty theft at a young age and began abusing substances. He said when she began using crack cocaine, it had a devastating effect on her life. He said that after release from a previous sentence, she started working in a hairdresser but her brother's death had sent her back into the vicious cycle of drug addiction. He said her mother is supportive and will be there to assist her on her release. He said his client is embarrassed by her situation and wants to be a good role model for younger members of her family. Counsel said she is capable of learning and aspired to a qualification in hairdressing. She wishes to live a different life to the chaotic one she currently has. She has not had drug treatment in the past


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Shopkeeper hit with spate of thefts forced to TACKLE shoplifters himself as courts ‘just let them off the hook'
A SHOPKEEPER fed up with a spate of thefts has been forced to tackle shoplifters himself, saying the courts 'just let them off the hook'. Andrew Board, 39, who runs a convenience store in Durham, Co Durham, has become a local have-a-go hero - chasing down thieves, physically dragging them back into the shop, and banning dozens from stepping foot through the door again. Advertisement 5 The shopkeeper says he will 'protect and defend' the store from shoplifters Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Andrew Board has been running his Premier convenience store for six years Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Andrew says shoplifting is having a major impact on his business Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board After six years of running his Premier store, the retailer had reached the end of his tether at being robbed blind while courts dish out slap on the wrist punishments to shoplifters. He said: "It's just got worse and worse because there's no deterrent. Crime pays at the moment. "The police have bent it over backwards to try and get all these criminals put before the courts, and they're as frustrated as we are, that they're basically just letting them off the hook. "They might get a caution or a rehabilitation order, but there's very little to stop them just going out and doing it again." Advertisement Read More on UK News Andrew has chased suspects around the estate and recently dragged a man who swiped a crate of Fosters back into the shop. After his brave citizen's arrest, police arrested the thief - only to spare him prosecution and hand out a community resolution instead. Andrew said: "The outcome was that he would just pay for the beer and it would be forgotten about. Despite him being on an electronic tag at the time. "How is that justice? What kind of message does that send if the worst-case scenario is they just have to give the stuff back?" Advertisement Most read in The Sun CCTV footage shows thieves being caught in the act - including a woman sliding tubs of Lurpak inside her coat and another nicking a bottle of wine. Other clips show Andrew and his staff grappling with shoplifters and hauling them back into the shop to await arrest. Moment Co-op worker grabs fleeing shoplifter by the THROAT to stop him making off with arms full of stolen items Shoplifting at the store has become so rampant that some products have been pulled entirely. Lurpak, Nescafe, tubs of fabric softener and even Spam have been removed after being targeted by drug addicts keen to pay off their debts. Advertisement Andrew said: "We had one prolific thief who was in constantly, shoving Lurpak down her coat. "She wears a lined coat, like a pro. She's been in court over and over again, but not once has been gone to prison." The store's banned list has grown to over 40 names. Andrew knows many having grown up and lived in the area all his life. Advertisement He has chased thieves around the estate, through back lanes and over fences. Andrew said: "There's no stereotypical shoplifter, I've had eight-year-olds stealing. Middle-aged people stealing to pay drug debts. Pensioners in their eighties stuffing things down their coat. "There's no set sort of character of what makes a shoplifter now." Andrew credits the police for trying but says officers are shackled by rules and red tape. Advertisement He is in a WhatsApp group with other retailers who track offenders and warn each other when someone's on the move. But police officers are not allowed to use WhatsApp. So while the group moves in real time, officers can be left catching up. Andrew told how the scourge of shoplifting had taken a toll on his staff, none of whom signed up to facing down criminals. Andrew said: "I've got some tools of the trade on me. I don't give them a chance to react. I work on shock tactics. Advertisement "I do have some restraint where it's needed. I would only retaliate if someone was volatile with me. I'm forceful in the immediate stage, but then if someone was going to pull a scrap with me, then I would hold my own. "I tell the staff to challenge but only if they feel safe. 'Often they'll ring me because I only live nearby. "My wife knows that I can handle myself and I do have a sensible head on my shoulders. But she's always going to worry in case anything does happen." Advertisement Nationally, half a million shoplifting offences in England and Wales were recorded by police last year, up 20 per cent from 2023. Andrew says shoplifting is having a major impact on small business struggling with ever-shrinking profit margins. He said: "These people are stealing out of my pocket because this is my business and I won't have it anymore. "Small businesses now, they're closing left, right and centre, because all the extra expenses we're now subject to, all the extra regulations we're now being bound by that we've got to fork out our own pockets for. Advertisement "Wages and overheads are all going up. National insurance payments have gone up. "So we're being hammered left, right and centre. And now all these thieves are just coming in like it's a free-for-all. "People think acquisitive crime is harmless but if I go under, then the post office in the shop goes too. The community loses out and that's not fair. "Shoplifting will not go down until something in the legal system changes." Advertisement In a Facebook post in April, the store warned: "We aren't one of those large corporate stores making millions and can absorb losses due to theft. We're a small, local, family run business that does its best to cater for the community. "All thefts are a theft direct from our pocket and jeopardise our ability to trade and serve our community. Because of this, we absolutely WILL protect and defend ourselves against thieves and anyone caught will be dealt with accordingly." A Durham Police spokeswoman said: 'Shoplifting is a significant issue nationwide , and County Durham and Darlington is no different. 'We take this type of offending extremely seriously and work hard to tackle the issue across our force area. Advertisement 'A large proportion of shoplifting offences are opportunistic and committed by people with drug or alcohol addictions. 'That's why, as a force, we must look at the bigger picture and find out why individuals offend in the first place and seek to address the underlying reasons for their offending." 5 Andrew isn't afraid to confront those trying to steal from his store Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board 5 Half a million shoplifting offences in England and Wales were recorded by police last year, up 20 per cent from 2023 Credit: Midlands Media Agency/Andrew Board Advertisement


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
How Euro '96 hero Paul Gascoigne won the nation's hearts before booze battles which left him homeless & close to death
HE'S the sporting hero who helped take England to the semi-finals of Euro '96 and as been hailed as the most "naturally talented English footballer of his generation" . But Paul Gascoigne's life off the pitch has been plagued by addiction and ill-health that has left him homeless and, at times, close to death. 6 Paul Gascoigne has been hospitalised after being discovered unconscious at home Credit: Dan Charity / The Sun 6 The footballer achieved 57 caps for England Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 6 But his life has also been plagued by alcohol Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Having 'died' twice, survived an 18-day coma and horror drink-drug binges, he has previously claimed to have 'more lives than a cat'. It's claimed Gazza, 58, is now in a 'stable' condition and being monitored in an acute medical unit after he was discovered semi-conscious at home on Friday evening. Fans who have watched him bounce back numerous times will be hoping the new health scare is just another temporary blip for the former Pal Steve Foster says hospital was 'the best possible place for him to be right now' and thanked well-wishers who 'want to see him back at his best'. read more from features It's yet another scare for the embattled addict, whose post-footballing career has been characterised by drug and alcohol battles. He once claimed to have survived for four months without food or water on a deadly daily intake of four bottles of whiskey and 'about 16 lines of coke'. By his own admission, he's a medical marvel, as he previously said: 'I'm not scared of anything, because of what I've been through in my life." Gazza's issues predate the drinking demons of his footballing career - stretching back to his childhood growing up in County Durham. Most read in Celebrity He has previously spoken about childhood trauma from witnessing his parents' violent arguments and later domestic abuse between his three siblings. At the age of ten, Gazza was scarred by tragedy, after watching his brother's friend Steven Spraggon die in his arms. Rangers icon Paul Gascoigne makes surprise Match of the Day appearance as footie greats pay tribute to Gary Lineker 6 Paul with ex-wife Sheryl, who he shares three kids with Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd He was 'mucking around' outside a local shop when he ran into the road and was knocked down by an ice cream truck. "I was on my own with him for what seemed like ages," Gascoigne revealed in his 2005 autobiography Gazza. "It was the first dead body I'd ever seen. 'I felt Stephen's death was my fault. I still go over the accident in my mind. Just speaking of it can make me cry." His hod-carrier father John lived away in When John returned, he suffered a brain hemorrhage that meant he would never work again, furthering the family instability for his kids. "It was around this time I started displaying peculiar twitches and making lots of noises," Gazza said. By 13, his mental health declined. He could no longer sleep without lights on and sought psychiatric help for depression and a slot machine addiction, which he shoplifted to fund. Gazza's one escape was on the pitch, where he admitted: "I didn't have twitches or worry about death when I was playing football." He impressed while playing at Redheugh Boys' Club and Gateshead Boys youth teams before being signed as an apprentice for Newcastle United on his 16th birthday. When I'm drinking, I forget about everyone and don't realise the hurt I'm doing to everyone but I've also got to think about the hurt I was doing to myself Gazza There, Gazza excelled, including scoring a 30-yard screamer in the Youth Cup final, which manager Jack Charlton remarked: 'You'll have to wait a thousand years to see that again." He went on to become one of the most successful midfielders ever, playing for Newcastle and Tottenham, before moving to Lazio, and earning 57 England caps. He also provided one of the game's most iconic moments - when a yellow card in the 1990 World Cup semis in Turin saw him leave the pitch in tears. As "Gazzamania" gripped the UK, Terry Wogan described him as "probably the most popular man in Britain today" in September 1990. But off the pitch, he was developing more unhealthy habits including binging on Mars bars and junk food, which would later lead to him purging to lose weight ahead of matches. It would lead to a destructive relationship with alcohol that, in 1998, would lead to him being first admitted to the Priory Hospital following hitting 'rock bottom' after downing 32 whisky shots in a night. He would have at least seven more stints at various rehabs including a prestigious Arizona spot, which cost £100,000, and a £6,000-a-month Southampton clinic, and has been sectioned multiple times. "I'm an alcoholic like George [Best] and I know that - in some ways - my behaviour has been even more self-destructive than his. George never took cocaine,' Gazza later would admit. Raoul Moat stand-off A decade on from his first rehab stint, he was sectioned under the mental health act after threatening self-harm and holding a night porter by the throat after a 3am fire alarm in a hotel. Later that year, Gazza tried to end his life with alcohol and drugs but thankfully medics saved his life. While he spent spates sober in the coming years, he was continuously dogged by addiction. The dizzying heights of fame he reached in football - making 57 appearances for Notably in 2010, during 6 Gazza at one point was drinking four bottles of whisky a night Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 6 The ex-footballer has had many admissions to rehab Credit: Action Images - Reuters 'I just remember that I was in a taxi, I had a fishing rod, some chicken, four cans of lager and a fishing jacket,' the footballer later told The Mirror. Fortunately, he was turned away. He added: 'I was telling the taxi driver I could save him. I told him: 'Listen, I have been through so much, I am the best therapist in the world, I can save him'. I think that I genuinely believed that.' That same year, he was charged with drink driving twice, including once being four times over the limit, and skipped his sentencing hearing to enter rehab. "He is not here because he has decided to put himself in for treatment, that's the bit that causes me concern. Who's running the show?" the judge said. Gazza would spend three years sober until 2013 when he succumbed to binges. At the time he complained: 'The last 11 years, I've probably drank 14 months out of it. 'I was three years sober and then I had a four or five weeks binge. It's just those little binges, so I've just got to stop those binges. "When I'm drinking, I forget about everyone and don't realise the hurt I'm doing to everyone but I've also got to think about the hurt I was doing to myself.' 'More lives than a cat' Despite falling off the wagon, he said: 'I don't know if I'm ever going to touch a drink again. I just know that I'm not drinking today.' In 2014, Gaza was admitted to rehab again - for the seventh time - and later that year was hospitalised twice due to his drinking. Struggles have continued to plague the widely-beloved footballer, who said in a 2021 interview that he will 'always be an alcoholic' but that he was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings . I have had near-death experiences, 36 operations, I've died a couple of times and they've put me in a coma for 18 days Gazza The dad-of-three, who previously admitted being physically violent against his first wife Sheryl, last year revealed he was homeless and sleeping in a spare room at his agent Katie Davies' house in Poole, Dorset. "I called Katie up in November a few years ago crying my eyes out,' he said. 'What I put myself through and other people, jail and rehab - taking cocaine off toilet seats." Gazza described himself as a 'sad drunk' and that he has 'let myself down' falling into the grips of alcoholism since his playing career finished. 'The things I've put myself through, I'm lucky to still be sitting here,' he told The High Performance Podcast. 'I don't go out and drink. I drink indoors.' He said if he wanted to 'make it a bad day' he would 'go down the pub' and once recoiled after a boozy session, to see '30 messages or missed calls' from worried loved ones. Gazza has been open about his battles, revealing he too believes he has 'more lives than a cat' due to surviving death multiple times and often appears to be consumed with regret. 'I have had near-death experiences, 36 operations, I've died a couple of times and they've put me in a coma for 18 days,' he said. 'People know Paul Gascoigne but Gazza, no one knows, even me sometimes. I've spent a lot of years being down. 'When I did my ligaments and then my kneecap, I missed four years of football. I would've got 100 caps.' Sadly, just weeks before his most recent hospitalisation, Gazza seemed optimistic, stating that he felt 'better now than I have in years' 'I hope I am at a point that I can look back over everything I've gone through with a different, more positive, perspective," he said. This recent scare suggests the battle may not be over for the beleaguered legend - but as ever, the beloved figure will have an army of well-wishers hoping he has a speedy recovery.