£34,000 counterfeit Nescafe coffee seized » Communities » 24dash.com

A lorry full of counterfeit coffee worth thousands of pounds has been seized by police and council officers on its way to Liverpool.

The vehicle had been heading to a warehouse in Kensington on Tuesday when it was intercepted.

The cargo is worth more than £34,000.

The 750g counterfeit coffee tins were labelled "Nescafe Original Granules" had the words "Nestle Consumer Services, PO Box 207, York YO91 1XY" and underneath the English instructions for use is Russian writing on the label, a spokeswoman for Liverpool City Council said.

Councillor Berni Turner, Liverpool City Council's executive member for the environment, said: "I never cease to be amazed at the lengths to which people will go to sell fake goods.

"This coffee looks just like the real thing but consumers just don't know what's in the tin.

"One thing is for sure - if you pay for Nescafe coffee that is what you should get, not some cheap copy of the genuine article."

Inquiries are ongoing into the origins of the coffee, a spokeswoman for Liverpool City Council said.

The spokeswoman said: "It is highly unlikely that the coffee will be toxic."

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said a 28-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the counterfeit coffee and bailed pending further inquiries.