Taunton shop closed after selling vapes and bongs to kids

This was the fourth seizure at the Somerset property this year

A shop which sold vapes, cannabis grinders and bongs to children has been ordered to close after a court hearing.

The Quick Stop Mini Market in Taunton was closed after police seized 13,000 illegal cigarettes, 119 packs of rolling tobacco and a large amount of illegal vapes, on 12 December.

A court hearing was held at Taunton Magistrates' Court on 14 December and a three-month closure order was granted.

This was the fourth seizure at the property this year, police said.

The application for the order was applied for jointly by Avon and Somerset Police and the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service (HSTSS).

Police seized illegal cigarettes, rolling tobacco and a large amount of illegal vapes

Sharon Anderson, group manager at HSWTSS, said it was "essential store owners remained vigilant" to avoid selling unsuitable products to children.

She continued: "Illegal vapes, such as those seized during these visits, often have excessively high levels of nicotine, over the limits set by law.

"This makes them highly addictive and potentially harmful to a person's health."

Other incidents recorded against the store included:

• Issues of anti-social behaviour in the vicinity of the store committed by people purchasing goods there

• High carbon monoxide readings recorded through an assessment by local officers and the fire and rescue service, resulting in the business and private residential addresses above being evacuated

• Incidents of electricity being abstracted, impacting on surrounding local businesses

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