Medicines seized from Polish shops

Significant quantities of the drugs were taken from the shops by enforcement officers from the Department of Health's Medicines Regulatory Group.

Visits were carried out over the past number of weeks and the medicines which were not authorised for sale in the UK will be destroyed.

Peter Moore, Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer said, "There are potentially serious public health risks associated with the sale of unregulated and unauthorised medicines like these, some of which would normally require a prescription to obtain.

"In conducting these visits and removing the illegal products from open sale, MRG have effectively dealt with a real risk to public health."

Owners of the shops which were selling the medicines have been given a formal warning, and they could face an unlimited fine or two years in prison.

Head of MRG, Professor Mike Mawhinney said, "It is vital that we get the message across that unlicensed medicines can be dangerous and we will continue with our regulatory activities to ensure that all those selling medicines do so in strict accordance with the law."