A convenience store in Lenton has been closed after more than 1,400 illegal tobacco products were found hidden in a secret compartment.
Nottingham City Council’s Trading Standards team, working in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police, secured a closure order against Lovely Shop, in Lenton Boulevard.
The order followed what officers described as overwhelming evidence gathered against the shop, including a number of test purchases.
On one occasion, officers observed a staff member enter a rear stockroom before crawling through a hidden compartment, where the illegal goods were stored.
In total, 1,474 illegal tobacco products were seized, with an estimated street value of £7,370.
The shop was officially closed on July 1. The order will remain in place until October 1.
Since April, this is the fifth closure order secured against shops selling illegal tobacco products in the area.
Superintendent Chris Pearson, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We are very aware that a minority of businesses in Nottingham are being used as a front to sell illegal products such as tobacco, vapes and sometimes drugs.
“I cannot be clearer – we know who you are, and we will make sure we shut you down for good. We don’t want you on the high street.
“Some of these illegal businesses fund serious organised crime, which devastates our local communities.
“Working with our partners at Trading Standards, I think the public will be glad to hear there will be more of these closure orders to come as we work extremely hard to rid your local area of criminal activity.”
The latest closure order sits alongside Op Arriving, a police operation targeting people committing crime across the Radford and Lenton area.
Since the operation began three weeks ago, more than 60 suspects have been arrested for offences including burglary, vehicle theft and drug supply. A number of warrants have also been executed.
