Brierley Hill shop which was ordered to close for selling illegal tobacco products to remain shut for further three months amid concerns

High Street Mini Market on Brierley Hill High Street was handed a three-month closure order in May, following investigations by Dudley Council’s trading standards.

The store, which opened in 2019, had been the subject of 11 separate seizures of counterfeit and smuggled tobacco products.

Dudley Council said the owner had gone to great lengths to hide the products from officers, including within the store’s ceiling space and an abandoned vehicle.

After numerous attempts to warn them, trading standards issued a closure notice on May 15 due to the nuisance caused to the public.

The notice was served in accordance with section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act, 2014.

On May 16, Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court issued a temporary closure order, so a full hearing could be heard and, on May 24, the court found in favour of the local authority’s application and granted the closure order for three months, with the option to extend for a further three months if necessary.

On August 12, Wolverhampton Magistrates heard further evidence from the local authority, who requested a three-month extension to the current closure order.

This was accepted and the store will now remain closed until November 14.

Councillor James Clinton, cabinet member for public health, said: “As our team was not confident that positive changes were being made by the owners of this store, they successfully managed to obtain a further three-month closure.

“We will not stop investigating rogue businesses and will continue to support local, genuine firms and protect the public from these harmful products.”