A shop has been shut down after James Bond-style secret lift stuffed with thousands of illegal cigarettes was found in the floor.

Sniffer dogs made the find at Your Local Convenience Store at 174 Rainham Road, Gillingham within seconds of entering the premises with trading standards officers.

A radio-controlled 5ft deep lift had been built in the floor of the shop, packed with nearly 3kgs of non-duty paid tobacco and 7,000 illegal cigarettes.

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Trading standards officers described the stock room as resembling a scene from a James Bond film with illegal tobacco appearing out of the floor at the push of a remote button.

The shop has been shut down and the owners are under investigation.

The cigarettes and tobacco have been seized and the underground mechanism was also dug out of the floor and dismantled.

Cllr Andrew Mackness, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder overseeing Trading Standards’ tobacco work, said: “This is a great success story.

"This shop was brought to our attention following complaints from local residents and businesses, and so I’d like to thank them for reporting their concerns.

“This operation has taken a large amount of counterfeit and non-duty paid tobacco out of circulation.

"But there will no doubt be more out there and Medway Trading Standards will continue their work to track it down and hold those storing or selling it to account, with the help of the trusty sniffer dogs of course.”

The lease for the shop has now been terminated under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, with the cooperation of the property mangers. The shop owners are under investigation.

This is the fourth shop closed down by Medway Trading Standards in the last six months, due to the sale or storing of illicit tobacco products.

Anyone aware of the sale of illicit tobacco products in Medway should call 01634 334455.