Shop shut after illegal cigarettes seized

Illegal cigarettes and vapes were also found in the upstairs flat

A shop caught selling illegal cigarettes four times has been closed.

UK Mini Market, in South Moor, County Durham, was served with a three-month closure order at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court.

Durham County Council said officers had been sold illicit cigarettes at four test purchases between September 2023 and May 2024.

Officers seized 39 packets of illegal cigarettes, 35 pouches of rolling tobacco and 342 illegal vapes in an inspection in June.

A further 123 vapes with oversized tanks were also seized from behind the shop’s counter, with the total retail value of the haul coming to £5,600.

The local authority said some of the goods were suspected to be counterfeit, and many did not contain the legally required health warnings. A criminal investigation is ongoing.

Gary Carr, from Durham County Council, said: "This illegal activity is a real nuisance in our communities.

"It can make smoking more accessible to children and damages those honest and law-abiding local businesses that operate legitimately."