Court imposes closure orders on two Wallasey shops
Three-month closure orders have been imposed on two retail businesses in Wallasey following allegations of criminal behaviour and concerns over potential anti-social activity.
The closure orders granted this week at South Sefton Magistrates Court apply to:
- Wallasey Market, 18 Liscard Village, Wallasey
- UK Mini Market, 142 Borough Road, Wallasey
The orders were issued under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and will remain in effect for a period of three months.
Five enforcement visits were carried out in recent months by officers from Wirral Trading Standards and Merseyside Police and resulted in the following seizures of goods.
Wallasey Market
- 560 illegal e-cigarettes
- 220 illegal e-cigarette refill cartridges
- 1kg of illegal hand-rolling tobacco
- 80 illegal cigarettes
UK Mini Market
- 27,320 cigarettes
- 5.95kg of hand-rolling tobacco
- 51 single-use e-cigarettes
The estimated illicit retail value of goods recovered from UK Mini Market is approximately £9,125, based on typical black-market prices. If sold at genuine retail prices, the goods would have been worth around £25,845.
Additionally, five arrests have been made at the UK Mini Market address in recent months.
The closure orders were sought following repeated enforcement activity and intelligence reports indicating ongoing criminal behaviour at the premises. T
These actions form part of a wider strategy to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco and vaping products, which pose significant health risks and undermine legitimate businesses.
In a witness statement provided to the court at the hearing this week, Wirral’s Director of Public Health, Dave Bradburn, said:
A significant risk that undermines tobacco control measures is the illicit tobacco trade and underage sales of tobacco. As illicit tobacco products are sold at significantly lower prices, often less than half the price of legitimate products, consequently are more affordable for children.
There is no doubt that businesses in Wirral that engage in practices such as the sale of illicit and counterfeit tobacco and vape products, or facilitate underage sales, pose a significant health risk to communities in which they operate.
Often illicit tobacco and vape products that have not been tested and are unlicensed pose a risk to the health of anyone who uses them as their contents are unknown. These activities represent a public health threat and nuisance, fundamentally undermining tobacco control strategies and smoking cessation interventions.
When we receive intelligence about illegal goods, we work with the councils and Trading Standards to investigate and take robust enforcement action.
Those involved in selling counterfeit goods are not just committing fraud they are often feeding organised crime networks that thrive on exploitation and violence. These criminal enterprises use profits from illicit tobacco and fake products to fund activities that tear communities apart, bringing intimidation, harm, and fear to our streets.
We will not tolerate this. If you know anyone involved in selling illicit tobacco or counterfeit goods, speak up. Every report helps us dismantle these networks and protect our communities from serious crime.
Anyone that knows of any stores involved is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
