Westbury Street Shop handed three-month closure order
A Thornaby Shop has been closed for selling illicit cigarettes to customers, including children.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council secured a three-month Closure Order notice for the Westbury Shop on Westbury Street at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Thursday, December 18.
The Court heard how complaints had been made from the public regarding illicit cigarette sales.
Test purchases carried out by the Council's Trading Standards Team confirmed cigarettes sold at the premises failed to comply with the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 and did not have a combined health warning in accordance with the requirements under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
The illicit cigarettes were sold for £5, well below the usual market price of cigarettes.
The Westbury Shop business operator was given an initial warning to cease the sale of illicit tobacco in early December, but during a subsequent test purchase Trading Standards found illicit and counterfeit cigarettes were still being sold.
Councillor Norma Stephenson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety, said: "Customers buying this tobacco are putting their health at risk because they do not know what they are putting into their bodies.
"It is vital that we continue with a zero-tolerance approach to these businesses and secure closure orders.
"Our Trading Standards team deserve a huge pat on the back for acting on information from the public to get the Westbury Shop closed.
"I'd like to encourage local people to continue reporting any sales of illicit, counterfeit tobacco to us, as well as any reports of underage sales so we can take the necessary action.
"Anyone concerned about the sale of illegal cigarettes can contact our Trading Standards team by calling 01642 526560 or emailing trading.standards@stockton.gov.uk."
This work was carried out as part of Operation Cece, which is run in partnership with the National Trading Standards and HMRC to help tackle the sales of illicit tobacco.
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: "The illicit tobacco trade is driven by organised criminal gangs and poses serious risks to local communities, especially young people. Since its launch in January 2021, Operation CeCe - a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC - has removed 69 million illegal cigarettes, 19,750kg of hand-rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, helping to clamp down on this illicit trade and protect communities and honest businesses across the UK."
