A town centre corner shop has been ordered to close for "for repeatedly selling illegal vapes and tobacco".
The ‘Pound Corner’ shop on Newport Street was served the order by the Trading Standards on Thursday (October 3) as part of Operation AVRO, an initiative in partnership with GMP to tackle anti-social behaviour and the sale of illegal goods.
Since March 2, 2023, more than 750 illegal vapes, 950 packets of cigarettes and 7kgs of hand rolling tobacco have been seized from the premises.
On one visit, with the help of sniffer dogs, a concealment of illicit tobacco was found hidden in a void behind some panelling in the rear store area.
Illegal vapes were also found under the shelving units in the shop itself.
Trading Standards acted on several complaints from members of the public that the shop was selling illegal products as well as reports of underage sales of vapes.
The Closure Order will remain in place for three months.
Cllr Sue Haworth, Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services said:
“The is the fourth Closure Order in Bolton and a reminder of our zero-tolerance approach to the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes in Bolton.
“Not only will we remove the goods, but we will also close the premises which of course has serious financial implications for a small business.
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“Thank you to those members of the public who report this criminality which enables us to severely disrupt the sale of illegal goods.”
Operation AVRO took place in Bolton - a monthly Greater Manchester Police initiative which targets a range of crimes such as drug-dealing, traffic offences and anti-social behaviour yesterday.
More than £250k in stolen goods were seized, including a unit filled with power washers, which were later confirmed as stolen goods.
The operation also saw officers crackdown on traffic offences, with 72 traffic being committed.
In total, 10 vehicles were seized, and two traffic-related arrests were made.
People can report crimes on 101 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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