Actions were taken against multiple convenience stores in the past week to crackdown the booming trade of illicit tobacco, cigarettes and vapes.
In a recent incident, Croydon Council closed down a convenience store in Croydon town centre following illegal sales of tobacco and vapes.
The Council used a closure order to shut down the business and adjoining flat for three months, the first closure order of that type that the Council has undertaken for illicit tobacco, vapes and associated criminality.
Stop and Shop at 79 Church Street was reported to the Council after a resident buying a packet of cigarettes suspected that they were counterfeit in November 2023.
The Council’s trading standards team then undertook a number of test purchases and raids, each time seizing sizeable quantities of illicit goods. The business failed to take measures to operate within the law and intentionally selling illegal products.
The raids, including with search dogs, found that the shop housed numerous purpose-built hidden compartments, which, when uncovered were found to contain hundreds of illegal tobacco products.
“This closure was brought about by the Council’s award winning trading standards team in another great result tacking criminality in Croydon.
“Criminals operating in Croydon damage reputable businesses’ trade as well as potentially damaging residents’ health.
“We will continue to work with other law enforcement partners where necessary to find and close down criminal gangs operating within the borough.”
Elsewhere in Bolton, a convenience shop has had its licence revoked after a large number of illegal items including e-cigarettes, illicit tobacco and cannisters were found.
The Best One convenience store in Church Street, Little Lever, repeated breaches of UK and e-cigarette laws following several compliance visits from the council's trading standards department, a council report has revealed.
A total of three separate compliance visits to the shop by trading standards officers, the most recent in December, discovered non-compliant e-cigarettes, as well as non-compliant cigarettes and canisters of nitrous oxide, accompanied by balloons.
E-cigarettes infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is found in cannabis, was discovered at the premises.
The report said: “A search was conducted, and 103 non-compliant e-cigarettes were located under the till area, 24 non-compliant THC-infused e-cigarettes were located behind the till and nine packets of non-compliant cigarettes and five packets of amber lead hand rolling tobacco were found in a coat pocket hanging on the storeroom door.
“In addition to these items found, a packet of Richmond King Size branded cigarettes housing only six cigarette sticks were located under the till, indicating that the premises are selling cigarettes as ‘singles’.
The report adds that the packaging of the seized cigarettes was not in compliance with regulations, which require plain packaging and was introduced by The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015.
The report added, "Having regard to the licensing objectives, the premises licence in relation to Best One (Hans Express), 225-227 Church Street, Little Lever, be revoked on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder.
"In coming to its decision the sub-committee noted that the designated premises supervisor and premises licence holder consistently disregarded advice and information provided by trading standards to keep members of the community they serve safe.
"The licence holder acknowledged storing THC-infused vapes inside the premises and admitted that he had been smoking them during his working time at the premises."
