Bristol shop ordered to close after continued illegal tobacco sales
Ranya Market in Withywood has been handed a three-month closure order
A Bristol shop has been ordered to close for three months, after persisting with sales of illegal tobacco, despite previous warnings and product seizures made by Bristol City Council Trading Standards.
Bristol Magistrates' Court granted a Closure Order on 7 October, against Ranya Market, 94 Queens Road, Withywood, after Bristol City Council Trading Standards successfully applied for action, under anti-social behaviour legislation.
The court heard that the business had continued to sell illegal tobacco, regardless of repeated enforcement action, warnings and product seizures. Magistrates were told that the ongoing offending was damaging to the local community and that a Closure Order was necessary, to prevent further criminal activity.
Chair of the Public Health and Communities Committee, Councillor Stephen Williams, said: “The persistent sale of illegal tobacco products undermines legitimate businesses, supports criminal activity and causes significant harm to local communities. The court's decision sends a clear message that we will take decisive action, where businesses repeatedly break the law.
“Despite previous warnings, seizures and enforcement action, illegal sales continued at these premises. The Closure Order will not only help protect public health and disrupt the supply of illicit tobacco, it will also provide reassurance to residents that this type of criminal activity will not be tolerated.
“Trading Standards will continue to work closely with partner agencies, to take robust enforcement action against traders who sell illicit tobacco and illegal vapes.”
The order follows numerous visits to the premises, by Bristol City Council Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers, in response to ongoing complaints from the public, along with the seizing of substantial amounts of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes from vehicles linked to the shop. In total, more than 9,500 packets of illegal cigarettes and 9.5kg of hand-rolling tobacco were seized.
Despite these seizures, the council continued to receive complaints about illegal tobacco being sold from the shop. In recent months, a series of covert test purchases confirmed that unlawful sales were still taking place.
The order prohibits any trading from the premises and prevents anyone from entering the shop, for a period of three months, except those specifically-authorised by the court.
Bristol City Council Trading Standards will monitor the premises throughout the three-month closure period. Any breach of the order may result in further enforcement action.
Illegal tobacco harms communities, supports organised crime and undermines legitimate businesses. Anyone with information about the sale of illegal tobacco in Bristol can report it confidentially via the Trading Standards South West online Report It service
Every report helps tackle the illegal supply of tobacco and protect local communities.