A shop in Skegness has been issued with a three-month closure order after illegal tobacco and vapes were discovered.
Lincolnshire Police imposed the ban on Sept 12 at Skegness Mini Market in Roman Bank. One person working in the shop was also arrested after police licensing team members helped with test purchasing.
Concerns were being raised by members of the community about the products being sold at the premises. The closure order lasts for three months and is in place until midnight on 11 December 2024.
The court found on Thursday 12 September that a person has engaged in criminal behaviour on the premises. The court believed that if the closure order were not imposed that the criminal behaviour would be likely to continue.
Andy Wright, Principal Trading Standards Officer said, “We have seized huge quantities of illegal vapes from this premises on three occasions. We have had some of the items tested and found that the nicotine content is approximately half that described on the label.
"In one case the nicotine content was described as 2%, yet it was in fact 0.2%. If purchasers of these products think they’re getting a bargain, they are not.”
The order prohibits anyone from remaining on or entering the property with a few exceptions to allow maintenance.
Police said if anyone breaks the order then they are liable for arrest and could receive up to 51 weeks in prison or a fine.
Billy Spence, Community Beat Manager for Skegness said, “We are resolute in our determination to deal with the sale of illegal tobacco products and the associated criminality this often brings. We are aware of how shops selling these products are a concern for our community - we are working hard to address these concerns as robustly as possible.”
