More than 100,000 illegal pornographic DVDs and magazines have been seized after raids in Merton and Wandsworth.

The £1m haul was seized by Westminster Council’s licensing inspectors who had suspected the illegal goods were being distributed to newsagents in central London.

Working with Merton police and Wandsworth police, council inspectors carried out four raids at an office and storage facility in Bushey Road, Raynes Park, and two private properties in Wandsworth on Wednesday, September 4, at 8am.  

One of the Merton raids alone resulted in the seizure of more than 70,000 unclassified DVDs.

Councillor Nickie Aiken, Westminster Council’s cabinet member for community protection and premises, said: "We believe we have uncovered a major wholesale supply ring distributing unclassified material to shops in Westminster.

"The disturbing issue is that a child going into newsagents for a comic or some sweets could now come across some very unpleasant hard core material.

"Westminster Council has already had its ability to fight the illegal porn trade undermined by a court ruling that stops us using license fees from legal sex shops to fund that activity.

"The operation uncovered illustrates the scale of the illegal sex industry in London.

"My fear is that corner shops in Westminster and elsewhere in the capital are now the new frontier for the illegal porn industry in London."

Earlier this year 40,000 illegal DVDs seized from unlicensed sex shops in the capital were incinerated by Westminster Council.