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Cocaine and cannabis are among drugs being readily offered for sale in High Street mini-marts, a BBC investigation has revealed.
Undercover researchers secretly filmed in towns across the West Midlands, including one shop called Cradley Market. One of those researchers met Akwa, who works behind the counter there.
It took just seconds for Akwa to supply him with 3.5g of cannabis for £30. "I've got weed, coke, everything. Whatever you want, I can sort you out," Akwa told the researcher, later supplying him with cocaine.
Akwa denied any wrongdoing when the BBC's UK Editor Ed Thomas later confronted him. When asked about selling drugs, he said he did not know what he was talking about, before asking Ed and his team to leave.
The government is working with police, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Trading Standards to "take the strongest possible action against these criminal businesses", a spokesperson for the Home Office said. West Midlands Police said it would always work with partners "to act on complaints about illegal drugs sales, anti-social behaviour, and crime and disorder".
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