Rusholme illegal shisha bars shut down after raids

Shisha pipes and almost 16 stone (100kg) of shisha tobacco were confiscated in the raids

Four illegal shisha bars have been shut down in Manchester and tobacco worth an estimated £10,000 has been seized.

Wanasah, Threesixty, Antalya and Dubai were running as shisha bars without the relevant planning permission, Manchester City Council said.

The shisha bars in Wilmslow Road, Rusholme would face prosecution if they continued to trade, according to the authority.

The city council said previous warnings to shut were ignored by the owners.

As well as seizing 338 shisha pipes, the city council said almost 16 stone (100kg) of shisha tobacco was confiscated by HM Revenue & Customs .

During raids a number of fixed penalty notices were also handed out by the council for breaches of the Health Act 2006 which prohibits smoking indoors, including the smoking of shisha.

Wanasah, Threesixty, Antalya and Dubai were running as shisha bars without relevant planning permission

"It is deeply disappointing to see that in spite of repeated warnings the owners of these establishments continued to act like they were above the law," councillor Angeliki Stogia said.

"Using planning closure notices is a new approach being taken by the council to combat individuals who ignore planning law simply to make easy money."

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar added: "It has become an all too familiar sight to see shisha bars pop up as if overnight, particularly in our south Manchester communities.

"These bars are not legal and... have been a magnet for anti-social behaviour, lowering the standard of life for ordinary people who live close by to them."

In June, "hostile" shisha cafe Suede, where council inspectors were "threatened" after it broke the law on smoking, became the first to be closed down in the city.