Liscard Convenience Store, on Liscard Road, has become the 20th Wirral premises to be served with a closure order after a court heard evidence of persistent illegal activity at the shop. The order marks a significant milestone in the crackdown on the illegal sale of tobacco and vapes in Wirral.
Court grants three-month closure order
At Liverpool Magistrates Court last month, officers from Wirral Council successfully applied for a three-month closure order against the store. In granting the order, District Judge Hatton described the shop's owner Hiwa Karimi as running a “shoddy ship” and said they were “entirely satisfied criminal activity had taken place that cause serious nuisance to the public”. Mr Karimi has been ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.
The milestone has been reached as Prime Minister Andy Burnham "declared war" on dodgy vape shops which he says have "hollowed out" high streets up and down the country. Mr Burnham has set out plans to give local councils more power over what businesses can open in their towns and greater ability to reject certain establishments.
Evidence of illegal activity
Action against the Liscard Convenience Store began in January last year when a Trading Standards officer was sold a packet of duty-free cigarettes for £5 during a test purchase. An inspection a week later led to 114 illicit or non-compliant oversized vapes, along with eight packets of illicit or counterfeit cigarettes being found.
In February of this year, Merseyside Police officers visited the shop and discovered suspected illegal cigarettes behind the counter, as well as food and drink products carrying foreign-language labels with no English information. Officers also raised concerns a member of staff may not have been authorised to work in the UK.
In June, Trading Standards carried out a test purchase and were able to buy counterfeit cigarettes which emerged from a member of staff's jacket pocket rather than from a shop display. That purchase prompted a further joint inspection by Trading Standards and Merseyside Police on July 14. The evidence gathered over the course of multiple inspections led Wirral Council to apply for a closure order, which was granted by the court, closing the shop for three months as a result.
Official responses
Chief Inspector Dave Morgan, Merseyside Police, said: “This closure order sends a clear message that the illegal sale of tobacco and vapes will not be tolerated in Wirral. Despite repeated interventions and opportunities to comply with the law, this business continued to engage in criminal activity that had a detrimental impact on the local community.
“The illicit tobacco and vape trade is far from a victimless crime. It can make harmful and unregulated products more accessible, particularly to young people, undermines legitimate businesses, and is often linked to wider organised criminality.
“This result demonstrates the strength of the partnership between Merseyside Police, Wirral Council Trading Standards and our wider enforcement colleagues. By sharing intelligence and taking action against those who repeatedly break the law, we are helping to protect our communities.
“I would also encourage residents to continue reporting concerns about the sale of illegal goods. Information from the public plays a vital role in helping us identify offending premises and take action against those who profit from criminal activity.”
Wirral’s Director of Public Health, Dave Bradburn, added: “The illicit tobacco trade undermines years of progress in reducing smoking harm. By removing these illegal products from circulation, we are protecting residents, supporting people to quit smoking and helping to prevent young people from becoming addicted to nicotine.”
Cllr Jenny Johnson, Chair of the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee for Wirral Council, said: “This latest action is further evidence that our Trading Standards service is absolutely committed to tackling anyone involved in illegal trading, working alongside the police to act on information and intelligence received and liaising closely with our legal team so they can present the strongest case at court.
“It is vital that we find and seize these goods to get them off the market and ultimately bring offenders to justice. These cut-price and unregulated products carry additional risks to consumers and are more accessible to underage customers - significantly undermining public health’s efforts around tobacco control and cessation.
“I raised a motion on notice to full council last week about this topic. The focus was on a crackdown on illegal trading on our high streets, asking Council to publicly reaffirm our commitment to safe communities, strong policing, and a zero tolerance approach to illegal drug activity. One of our requests was for the Trading Standards Team to be supported to develop and expand its work in this area. This work has my total commitment and support.
“There are clear links between the illicit trade of cigarettes and wider organised crime and, of course, sales of illegal items have an adverse effect on the profits of other shops who do operate within the laws and regulations.”
Residents who know or suspect illegal activity can report it anonymously using Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
