Five rogue shops shut in under six months as Council launches Operation Shutter

Five shops selling illegal tobacco and vapes have been forced to close in Newcastle-under-Lyme in less than six months, as the Borough Council launches Operation Shutter, a targeted crackdown on rogue traders undermining legitimate businesses and putting residents at risk.

The latest three closures follow joint enforcement action by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team.

The three premises are:

• Arvest, 41 Ironmarket – closed for six weeks.
• Shelby Vape Ltd, 110 High Street – closed for three months.
• American Candy (UK Mini Market), 43 Bridge Street – closed for three months.

Magistrates granted the closure orders on Wednesday, 4 November, following inspections on 12 October. Officers seized more than 14,000 illegal cigarettes, 5.5kg of hand-rolling tobacco and nine illegal vapes. At one premises, a sophisticated concealment system involving a movable wall was discovered hiding illegal tobacco. Previous inspections had also uncovered illegal products, with warnings issued.

The closures follow those of Simba’s Shop and Cobra Vape Shop earlier this summer, bringing the total to five shops shut since July.

Operation Shutter will see the Council continue targeted enforcement alongside Trading Standards and other partners, identifying rogue traders, disrupting illegal activity and pursuing closure orders wherever the evidence supports action.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Leader Jonathan Gullis said:

Let me be absolutely clear: if you are selling illegal tobacco, flogging illicit vapes or using our high streets for unlawful activity, you are not welcome in our Borough. We will come after you, shut you down and use every legal power at our disposal to run you out of town.

 

Most local shopkeepers are decent, hardworking people who work long hours, pay their taxes and follow the rules. They are the backbone of our high streets. Why should they compete with dodgy operators making a quick profit by breaking the law? Why should parents worry about potentially dangerous products being sold in their communities?

 

They shouldn’t. And under this administration, they won’t be expected to.

 

Finding illegal tobacco hidden behind a movable wall shows the lengths some operators will go to conceal their activities. But they can hide their stock, they cannot hide from the law.”

The latest closures follow a motion proposed by Cllr. Gullis at Full Council on 30 September, unanimously demanding stronger Government powers to permanently close premises repeatedly or seriously associated with criminal activity. The Council’s “Closed for Good” campaign also calls for greater accountability for landlords who repeatedly rent properties to rogue operators. Currently, closure orders can initially last up to three months, with a possible further three-month extension.

Cllr. Gullis added:

There is something fundamentally wrong with a system where a shop can be closed for breaking the law, only for operators to wait a few months, change the name above the door and potentially start all over again.

 

We want magistrates to have the power to shut the worst offenders permanently and landlords held accountable where they repeatedly allow illegal activity.

 

Changing the sign above the door must not become a licence to carry on breaking the law. We are proving what decisive local enforcement can achieve. Now Westminster must match our determination and give us the powers to finish the job.”

Cllr. Vanessa Renshaw, Cabinet member for Housing and Public Protection, said:

These closures are another victory for law-abiding residents and legitimate businesses. The sheer volume of illegal products uncovered is deeply concerning, particularly given the risks to consumers and young people.

 

Operation Shutter means we will keep identifying offending premises and taking decisive action.

 

If you choose to break the law in our Borough, don’t be surprised when you find your shutters coming down.”  

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

This action reflects the continued evolution of a highly effective partnership approach to tackling economic crime in Staffordshire. Working together across local government, Trading Standards, policing, and enforcement agencies, we are combining strategic direction with robust operational delivery to target those who seek to undermine our communities and legitimate businesses.

 

The results of this operation are a testament to the commitment, expertise and teamwork of all those involved. We will continue to invest in these partnerships, develop our intelligence-led capabilities, and take decisive action against illicit trade wherever it is found.

 

Our message is clear: economic crime has no place in Staffordshire, and we will continue to face it head on.”