A Wirral convenience store has been shut down after illegal cigarettes and unlicensed alcohol were seized by officers. Tranmere Convenience Store on Borough Road, Birkenhead, has had its doors shut for three months by a Wirral Magistrates' Court order.
Items seized during search
During a search of an address linked to the store, officers found and seized 9,440 illegal cigarettes and 2.95kg of hand-rolling tobacco. Upon serving the closure notice, officers also found four bottles of alcohol behind the counter despite the shop not holding an alcohol licence. An illegal packet of cigarettes was also discovered, along with pre-packed food products that did not have the required UK labelling.
The seized goods had an estimated street value of £3,717 and a potential retail value of £10,679. Officers also found the business was not displaying the required tobacco age restriction notice or business name notice.
Court order and council action
The closure order was secured by Wirral Trading Standards and Wirral Council's legal services team, who work closely with Merseyside Police. The court was satisfied that nuisance and criminality had occurred at the premises in connection with the supply of illegal tobacco products.
Trading Standards is now engaging with the landlord regarding the removal of the tenant. The action taken against Tranmere Convenience Store represents the 26th closure order secured in Wirral since December 2025.
Public health warning
Cllr Jenny Johnson, the chair of the council's tourism, communities, culture, and leisure committee, said: "I would once again like to commend our Trading Standards team, legal officers and multi-agency partners for taking decisive action to shut down Tranmere Convenience Store - another premises involved in the sale of illegal tobacco products. We will not tolerate these activities in our borough."
The sale of illicit and counterfeit tobacco and vaping products poses a significant risk to public health. These products are often unregulated, may not have undergone the appropriate checks and can undermine efforts to help people stop smoking.
"This latest closure sends a stark message that we will continue to work with our partners to identify businesses involved in illegal activity and take strong enforcement action where necessary."
