POLICE have taken around £200,000 worth of products from legal high shop Hush in Taunton this morning (December 19).

Six officers carried out a search of the property after acquiring a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Sgt Scott Minall, of the pro-active crime team in the Somerset West district, said they were acting on information given to them by the general public.

He said: "We were given information that some of the legal highs may contain illegal substances.

"We also had information that there was some dealing going on in the location.

"All of the products will be seized and samples will be tested."

Shutters were pulled down at the shop, on Bridge Street, this afternoon and staff members were being questioned at Taunton Police Station.

Police say if there are no problems found with the substances, then they would be returned.

Somerset County Gazette: Police activity at legal high store Hush in Taunton.

There were five or six police officers at the scene at around 11am this morning.

Sgt Minall said today's raid was one of the largest 'intelligence-led' seizures in the area he could remember.

The shop was closed while police officers carried out their search and the store could remain closed under the investigation is completed.

The shop's owner Simon Tomlin was not present during the search and was unavailable for comment when the County Gazette contacted the Exeter branch today.

Detective inspector Ray Hulin from Taunton CID said: "We received information about suspected controlled substances supposedly being retailed within in products known as legal highs."

Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) known as 'Legal Highs' are often designed as plant food, bath crystals or research chemicals and are sometimes labelled 'not fit for human consumption.'

These substances when retailed as legal highs are often given product names similar to the street drugs they supposed to mimic.

DI Hulin went on to say: "In the past, many NPS we have seized have turned out to be controlled substances or they contain chemicals that have never been tested on humans and can cause serious injury or even death.

"We are committed to preventing illegal and dangerous substances being sold to members of the public.

"Anyone who buys NPS is playing roulette with their health, they are often chemicals designed to be used for other purposes and are not suitable for consumption and sometimes do contain illegal substances, which can have legal consequences for anyone selling or in possession of them."

No arrests have been made.

Anyone concerned about illegal drugs in their area can contact the police on 101.