Court order closes rogue shop for three months

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council officers worked with Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team to obtain a court order against Simba’s, of 17 High St, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Magistrates at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that illegal tobacco and vapes had been found on the premises, while shop staff had sold tobacco to test purchasers who were too young to buy them legally.

Vanessa Renshaw, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Cabinet member for Housing and Public Protection, said:

This administration will not tolerate criminal activity in our town centre.
 

Selling illegal tobacco and vapes—and selling them to children—is despicable. It puts young people at risk, undercuts honest traders and damages confidence in Newcastle.
 

This closure is only the start. We will take what we have learned from this case and use it as a blueprint to target other suspicious premises across Newcastle-under-Lyme.
 

Our message is simple: if there is criminal activity, we will find you, we will shut you down and we will drive you out of our town.”

The court order prevents the premises from reopening for three months until mid-October, the maximum length of time possible.

Once the shop is permitted to reopen, it will remain subject to further unannounced inspections and test purchases.

Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said:

The closure of this shop in Newcastle is another important step in our work to tackle economic crime, disrupt illegal activity and protect our communities.
 

Working closely with Staffordshire Police and our district and borough council partners, we are taking robust action against those involved in the sale of illicit goods and other criminality that harms residents and undermines legitimate businesses.
 

Illegal tobacco and non-compliant vapes can pose serious risks to consumers, particularly young people, and are often linked to wider unlawful activity. We will continue to use every available power to protect consumers, support honest traders, and help ensure our town centres remain safe, thriving places for everyone.”