Keynsham shop ordered to close over illegal vapes and tobacco
Trading Standards carried out an investigation
A shop in Keynsham has been ordered to close after sniffer dogs found hundreds of illegal vapes and tobacco products.
Trading Standards carried out an investigation following a large number of complaints made about activities at Keynsham Mini Market on the High Street, which were found to be contributing to anti-social behaviour in the area.
The premises was ordered to close for three months under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
The Closure Order was granted by Bath Magistrates Court, with Magistrates satisfied it was necessary to prevent further nuisance and disorder, ensuring the safety and well-being of the local community.
Previous visits to the premises by the council, Avon and Somerset Police, Trading Standards South West and detection dogs trained to sniff out tobacco and vapes, resulted in more than 1000 illegal vapes, and more than 300 illegal tobacco products being seized.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Our Trading Standards team have been working very hard to tackle illegal vapes in our area. This Closure Order is an excellent result and demonstrates that the council responds to community concerns and is committed to safeguarding our residents in order to protect them from harm. Thank you to our partners who supported us with this outcome.”