“Dangerous” tobacco has been seized from two Wandsworth shisha bars during raids by council officers and police.
More than 100kg of shisha tobacco, which had evaded customs duty worth about £500,000, was taken.
One of the businesses, which the council has not identified for legal reasons, was using charcoal burners that produced carbon monoxide at nearly 60 times higher than levels considered safe.
The other bar had levels of carbon monoxide at nearly 25 times a safe level.
This would have been putting customers, staff and possibly people living above the bar at risk.
The first bar was immediately closed, while the second bar’s owners have been served with prohibition notices, and the council is considering legal action in both cases.
Two other shisha bars in the borough are also facing legal action as a result of previous council investigations.
Last year, when a new shisha bar in Tooting High Street was shut down after toxic fumes were making two families living above the premises sick.
The families, which both had small children, were breathing in the gas and suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning – vomiting, flu-like symptoms and headaches.
This business was allowed to reopen after the owner agreed to switch from using charcoal to vaping products.
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