Spalding shop closures are ‘tip of the iceberg’ in fight to tackle illegal cigarette sellers

Shutting three shops selling illegal vapes and cigarettes is ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ in South Holland – with rogue traders warned that more closures are coming thanks to a new partnership.

Lincolnshire Trading Standard officers and Spalding Police have working together for sometime to clamp down on the stores who are selling these harmful products.

They have now introduced a new arrangement which will speed up the legal process to shut these shops – which will allow more orders to come through – along with using A0 posters to advertise the reasons why a premises has been closed.

The team had recently secured three month closure orders for Spalding Express, based on Commercial Road, the Nasz Supermarket, Sheep Market, and Euro Star, New Road. These are among the 12 closure orders issued in the county.

And Principal Trading Standards officer Andy Wright says there will be more closures coming in the area shortly and has sent a message to the rogue traders.

“Look forward to more of the same – a lot more of the same.”

Previously, Mr Wright and his team would compile evidence bundles which would then be submitted to a county council legal officer to progress a closure order.

Mr Wright said: “The difference in Spalding is that we still supply the evidence but it is the police and the police lawyers who are taking the matter to the court.

“Trading Standards are essentially providing the providing the bullets from them to fire.

“The benefit is essentially that we can do twice as many closures as we could before. Because our workload has been shared with the Police in Spalding it has effectively been halved, so we can do twice as many as we did before.

“We are looking to do more in Spalding – and there is a lot more to do in Spalding. There still quite a lot of traders of illegal cigarettes and vapes.

“Three premises is the tip of the iceberg.”

Earlier this year we reported that forced closures would be coming for shops selling illegal cigarettes – as officials explained how these outlets are often a front for organised crime.

Mr Wright has thanked the courts for their support by granting the three month closure orders – which is the currently the maximum penalty.

But the team are also work to secure criminal prosecutions – with these charges being in a similar bracket to drug trafficking – and also undertaking proceeds of crime proceedings.

They also work with the landlords to help prevent rogue traders from continuing to operate from their property.