Four Nottinghamshire shops closed after £110,000 illegal tobacco and vape seizures
Summary
Four shops in Beeston, Eastwood, Hucknall, and Sutton in Ashfield were ordered to close for three months after Nottinghamshire County Council's Trading Standards team seized illegal tobacco products and vapes worth £110,845. The illegal items included cigarettes with incorrect packaging, hand-rolling tobacco, and non-compliant vapes; many were hidden in walls or under counters. The shops had repeatedly ignored warnings and sold illegal products to both children and adults. Following an investigation with Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham Magistrates' Court issued the maximum three-month closure order starting Tuesday 5 October. The specific shops and seizures were: Ezee Shop in Beeston (461 illegal cigarette packets, 96 tobacco packs, 1,064 vapes, worth £13,260); Your Shop in Eastwood (3,560 cigarette packets, 109 tobacco packs, 795 vapes, worth £64,170); Hucknall Cloud in Hucknall (757 cigarette packets, 67 tobacco packs, 201 vapes, worth £15,375); and Bucharest Mini Market in Sutton in Ashfield (227 cigarette packets, 28 tobacco packs, 6,282 vapes, worth £18,040). Trading Standards will continue investigating the owners and may take further action. Councillor Jody Stoll emphasized that illegal tobacco poses public health risks and undermines law-abiding traders; the closures send a strong message. Residents can anonymously report underage sales or unregulated products via the council's website or the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.
(Source:Google News)