Half a million pounds worth of steroid ‘alternatives’ seized from Warwickshire home

Half a million pounds worth of illegal muscle drugs have been seized by trading standards officers in North Warwickshire. They were alerted to the products by the management of an anonymous execution house in the north of the county.

Warwickshire County Council’s trading standards team found 5,577 bottles of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMS), which are an unauthorized ‘novel food’, and 38 dietary supplements containing turcesterone.

SARMS are synthetic chemicals that mimic the effects of testosterone and anabolic steroids. Illegally sold in the UK, they can be found in liquid and tablet form and are marketed to bodybuilders as ‘steroid alternatives’ or even ‘legal steroids’.

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But the bottles seized by Warwickshire Trading Standards clearly said: “Not intended for human consumption”. At Coventry Magistrates Court on May 22, Warwickshire County Council was granted a food condemnation order under the Novel Foods (England) Regulations 2018. The products will now be destroyed to prevent their use for human consumption.

In court, Ellis & Gallagher Ltd of Kenton Lane, Harrow, England were found to be the owners of the product. The court awarded Warwickshire County Council costs against Ellis & Gallagher Ltd in the sum of £2,827.50.

Speaking after the court case, Councilor Andy Crump, cabinet member for community safety at Shire Hall, said: “These products, which are being promoted on some social media sites as a way for gym goers to build muscle and lose fat, are both illegal to sell and potentially dangerous to consume.

“I am pleased that Trading Standards has taken this action to protect consumers. I would also like to thank the honorarium for its vigilance in identifying these products and alerting Trading Standards.”

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