Closure order secured for Billingham shop

A Billingham shop has been closed for selling counterfeit and illicit cigarettes to customers.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council secured the three-month closure order for The Red Shop (formerly known as The Yellow Shop), 178a Belasis Avenue, Billingham at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 11 July.

The Court heard that several complaints were made to the Council about sales of "cheap" counterfeit cigarettes at the shop. 

When the Council's Trading Standards officers investigated they found evidence that counterfeit and illicit products were being sold.

Cigarettes sold to customers were not in plain standardised packaging as required by The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 and did not have a combined health warning in accordance with the requirements under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

Test purchases carried out also confirmed that cigarettes bought from The Red Shop were found to be counterfeit, in contravention of the Trade Marks Act 1994.

Cigarettes were frequently being sold to customers for £5 - well below the average cost of 20 cigarettes which usually sell for around £12. Reports were also made of sales being made to children.

Councillor Norma Stephenson, the Council's Cabinet Member the Council's Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety, said: "I'm pleased our Trading Standards officers have been able to secure these closure orders today because it shows that we take the sale of illegal and counterfeit cigarettes very seriously.

"Illegal cigarettes pose a big risk to communities because it's very difficult to know what is in them and it's incredibly worrying that such cigarettes are being sold so cheaply to our residents and particularly to children.

"I'd like to thank the team for their hard work and the work of Cleveland Police, to get the maximum closure of three months.

"I'd also encourage local people to report any sales of illicit/counterfeit tobacco to us so we can take the necessary action."

Anyone with information on the supply of illicit tobacco from any business or residential premises across Stockton-on-Tees Borough can contact the Council's Trading Standards team on 01642 526560 or email trading.standards@stockton.gov.uk.

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