Local shop ordered to close for three months following illegal tobacco offences

Our Trading Standards and Legal Services teams have successfully obtained a closure order against a local business to prevent anti-social behaviour after over 11,000 illegal cigarettes were found at the premises over a matter of weeks.

Barnsley Magistrates Court’ issued a three-month closure order last Thursday (12 March) for Mr. Blue, located at 30 Doncaster Road, Goldthorpe (S63 9HL), helping to stop the sale of illegal tobacco from continuing at the premises.

This comes after a series of visits from our Trading Standards team, who’ve worked closely with Legal Services to take swift action to protect residents from potentially dangerous products.

During an initial visit to the business back in January, Trading Standards Officers found 7,400 illegal cigarettes and ten pouches of hand rolling tobacco that breached key safety regulations.

They also found a hidden concealment during a follow-up visit later that month, containing another 3,680 illegal cigarettes and 47 non-compliant pouches of hand rolling tobacco.

None of the tobacco products found and seized during these visits conformed with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, missing the legally required health warnings.

During our Trading Standards team’s investigation, the business was also found to be selling these illegal products for as little as £5 and failed a test purchase in February.

Under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, local authorities can ask the courts to issue closure orders to businesses found to be engaging in criminal behaviour and causing a public nuisance, helping to prevent these activities from continuing or recurring.

Given the evidence presented as part of our investigation, this closure order shows how we’re committed to putting people’s safety first, taking action where businesses break key legislation designed to safeguard our communities.

Alongside the three-month closure order, Mr. Blue’s current tenant, Mr Shaxawan Mustapha Ahmed, was also ordered to pay costs of £3,748.

Councillor Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said:

"Our teams are committed to tackling and preventing the sale of illegal tobacco in Barnsley, protecting the health and safety of our communities.

“While all tobacco poses significant health risks, unregulated products can contain higher levels of harmful substances, making them even more dangerous to people’s health. This case highlights just some of the dangers surrounding illegal tobacco, being sold at cheaper prices without health warnings, which is why we’re so committed to tackling it in Barnsley.

“This result sends a clear message that we won’t tolerate illegal trading in Barnsley, and I would like to thank our teams for holding businesses who fail to comply with the rules to account."

Our Trading Standards team are committed to tackling the sale of illicit tobacco in Barnsley and keeping potentially unsafe products off our shelves.

If you see anything suspicious or have any information about the sale of counterfeit goods, including illegal tobacco and vapes, please let us know by calling 01226 773743 or emailing RegulatoryServices@barnsley.gov.uk.

We’re also here to help businesses understand their legal responsibilities. If your business has any questions about the regulations, please get in touch with the team by calling 01226 773743 or emailing RegulatoryServices@barnsley.gov.uk.