'Shame' illegal tobacco sellers - councillors told

Councillors should "name and shame" businesses which have been prosecuted for selling illegal tobacco or vapes, a meeting heard.

West Yorkshire Joint Services, which runs Trading Standards, told members of Bradford Council's Corporate Scrutiny Committee that court fines were often limited and not a deterrent.

Businesses were also often aware of enforcement activity and were finding methods of concealing illicit stocks, the organisation said.

Director Andy Robson said publicising businesses and people involved in criminal activities could be a more effective punishment than any fine handed out by the courts.

"We need to make it less attractive for people who want to carry out criminal activity," Mr Robson said.

He said seizing large quantities of items from firms often hits them "in the pocket" much harder than a court fine.

Mr Robson said they were seeing a lot of stock "stored in concealed cupboards or in hatches operated by mobile technology".

"We have to keep one step ahead of them. We use sniffer dogs to get round this problem, but it is a challenge."

The update to councillors included prosecutions carried out by Trading Standards of businesses selling counterfeit tobacco, illegal vapes and those who have sold such products to children.

'Take a risk'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Green councillor Martin Love asked if they worked to revoke licences of businesses involved in selling illegal tobacco.

Mr Robson said while they cannot remove a business's licence, they do put together as much evidence as possible to allow organisations like Bradford Council to revoke them.

He also explained that any revocation would have to focus on their licence to sell alcohol.

"One problem is if a business is family run – the business licence might be in the name of one person," he said.

"If they get convicted the licence might be reapplied for by their brother or wife. That is a flaw in the licensing system."

Labour member of the committee Nussrat Mohammed asked if prosecutions of businesses were publicised, adding: "It could act as a deterrent to other people who want to get into this illegal business."

Mr Robson said the convictions were always publicised online, and urged members to help "name and shame" the criminal businesses in their community.

"I would encourage all councillors to circulate these convictions.

"These individuals take a risk, but if they are only fined £120 and make tens of thousands selling those products it is not much of a deterrent."

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