16 November 2023 , 08:57
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I might have found Britain’s most blatantly law-breaking convenience store.
The Yellow Shop in Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, was first raided by Trading Standards officers on November 10 last year, when counterfeit vapes and cigarettes were found.
It carried on regardless, resulting in further raids by officers and tobacco sniffer dog Mostyn, who uncovered more illicit tobacco products.
In July, Peterlee magistrates slapped a three-month closure order on the shop, which has now been extended for another three months.
“Despite being warned not to sell illicit tobacco, the premises was found to be doing exactly that during ten test purchase operations,” said Owen Cleugh, safer places manager of Durham County Council.
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Mostyn in action in the Bishop Auckland store"We hope the closure of this shop serves as a warning to other retailers that might think selling illicit tobacco is appropriate."
The Yellow Shop just beats The Famous shop in Dudley, West Midlands, which has notched up nine watchdog visits since December last year.
Wolverhampton Magistrates Court were told last month that the owner, 39-year-old Herman Mustafa, previously ran another store and when this was closed for selling illicit tobacco and vapes, he opened the new shop across the road.
It too has now been forced to close for three months.
“This is an excellent result that shows we will not tolerate illegitimate businesses using underhanded tactics in order to prevent enforcement action,” said councillor Ian Bevan, Dudley’s cabinet member for public health.
Thornaby shop is boarded upIn third place is the shop known only by its address of 103 Westbury Street, Thornaby, North Yorks.
It was visited in April by undercover Trading Standards officers, who were sold counterfeit cigarettes.
Despite being given a warning, the watchdogs were sold more illicit tobacco products on a further seven occasions.
Teesside Magistrates Court has shut it for three months.
"Counterfeit cigarettes pose a big risk to communities because it's very difficult to know what is in them and it's incredibly worrying that such cigarettes are being sold to people,” said Councillor Norma Stephenson of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Council.
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Operation CeCe, a joint Trading Standards and HM Revenue & Customs initiative, has removed 27 million illegal cigarettes, 7,500kg of hand rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale in the 30 months to July this year.
“The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law,” said Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards.
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