Four shops across Beeston, Eastwood, Hucknall and Sutton in Ashfield have been ordered to close after they were found to be supplying illegal tobacco products.
£110,845 worth of illegal cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products has been seized by Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards team during a series of raids across the stores. These included cigarettes and tobacco pouches with incorrect packaging and vapes breaching legal limits.
Despite repeated warnings and visits from officers, the shops continued to sell illegal tobacco products and vapes to children as well as adults.
Following an investigation by the council’s Trading Standards officers and Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court issued a three-month closure order (the maximum period currently allowed by law) for the following premises, taking effect from Tuesday 5 October:
• Ezee Shop, 92 High Road, Beeston (officers seized 461 packets of illegal cigarettes, 96 packs of illegal hand-rolling tobacco and 1,064 non-compliant vapes, hidden under the shop’s counter and concealed within the premises’ walls. These illegal products had an estimated value of £13,260).
• Your Shop, 89 Nottingham Road, Eastwood (officers seized 3,560 packets of illegal cigarettes, 109 packs of illegal hand-rolling tobacco and 795 non-compliant vapes, with an estimated value of £64,170).
• Hucknall Cloud, 34 High Street, Hucknall (officers seized 757 packets of illegal cigarettes, 67 packs of illegal hand-rolling tobacco and 201 non-compliant vapes, with an estimated retail value of £15,375).
• Bucharest Mini Market, 103 Outram Street, Sutton in Ashfield** (officers seized 227 packets of illegal cigarettes, 28 packs of illegal hand-rolling tobacco and 6,282 non-compliant vapes, with an estimated retail value of £18,040).
While the premises are closed, Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards will continue its investigations into the business owners and will seek to take action against them for selling illegal products.
Councillor Jody Stoll, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The successful closure of these four shops demonstrates that we will not tolerate this level of criminality in our communities. Illegal tobacco products pose a serious threat to public health and damage the local economy. Those who sell them undercut law-abiding traders and evade taxes that fund vital public services.
“Our latest action sends a strong message to shop owners who continue to ignore the law: we will investigate, take firm action and use all the powers available to stop you from selling illegal products.”
If residents see any tobacco products or vapes being sold to people who they believe are under 18, or if they believe a business is selling unregulated products, they are encouraged to report this anonymously to Trading Standards via the council’s website: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/business-community/trading-standards/consumer-advice/report-a-consumer-issue-to-trading-standards
Residents can also contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
