The shop in Roman Bank, Skegness will be closed for the next three months.
On Thursday 12 September police officers in Lincolnshire teamed up with Trading Standards partners to impose a closure order on a shop in Roman Bank, Skegness which has been used for the sale of illegal tobacco products and vapes.
Members of the Police Licensing team helped with test purchasing and arrested one person working in the shop.
The Neighbourhood Policing Team attended the closure to ensure there was no breach of the peace and to assist in the identification of the people found on the premises.
Concerns were being raised by members of the community about the products being sold at the premises, and to address the problem police have been working hard in the background, gathering evidence, and taking statements to achieve this closure order granted by the court last week.
This 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.
If anyone does anything which they are prohibited from doing by this order, they are liable for arrest and could receive up to 51 weeks in prison, or a fine, or both.
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.”
