Liverpool City Council has secured a three month closure order on a shop that has been selling counterfeit cigarettes and illegal disposable vapes.
Wirral Magistrates Court was told that for the past two years the premises known as Broadway Mini Market, of 6 Broadway in L11, has been engaged in criminal behaviour as it was being used to sell counterfeit and illegal tobacco and vaping products causing a serious nuisance to members of the public.
Despite visits from the Council’s Alcohol and Tobacco Unit and the seizure of goods, the store had continued with their offences – even resorting to hiding counterfeit cigarettes inside speakers in the shop and concealing illicit stock inside a wall.
The action was brought under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and a 12 week closure order was granted by the Court at a hearing on Thursday 12 October.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: “This sends out a strong message to retailers that we won’t tolerate the sale of counterfeit and illegal tobacco and vaping products.
“As well as seizing goods, we are prepared to go to court to shut premises down if they persist with their illegal behaviour.
“We would urge anyone who knows of a store that is selling these type of products to contact us so that we can investigate.”
Since April 2022, Liverpool City Council has seized over 36,000 illegal vapes with a street value of £432,000 and a large number of prosecutions for under-age sales are pending.
