A Kensington café named after Princess Diana is under investigation after trading standards officers found patrons smoking shisha in the basement during a late-night raid.
Around 45 unlabelled tubs of suspected shisha tobacco were seized from Café Diana in Wellington Terrace on May 9, Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council said.
Trading standards officers worked with the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office to find out if laws were broken on the premises.
During a late-night raid on the property, officers found patrons smoking shisha in the basement of Café Diana and seized shisha products from the premises.
The seized products are believed to contain illicit shisha tobacco, which are often counterfeit or smuggled without paying duties or taxes, the council said.
Councillor Johnny Thalassites, lead for environment and planning at the council said: “Illicit tobacco sales not only damage consumer trust but also undercut law-abiding businesses.
“Our officers work hard to educate businesses and ensure they comply with the law for a fair playing field.
“This joint operation reflects our commitment to protect our communities and work towards becoming a safer and fairer borough.”
Trading Standards will now carry out a full investigation, the council confirmed.
Formal action will also be taken against the business for breaching the Health Act and Tobacco-related legislation.
Earlier this year, Kensington and Chelsea trading standards prosecuted two companies in South Kensington for flouting smoking regulations and supplying shisha products without any health warnings.
Creative Shop Ltd, known as the White Lounge, and Najma Group Ltd Trading as the Muse Lounge, were fined £20,500 for breaking smoking laws.
