Three-month closure order for Weston business

A closure order has been granted for a shop in Weston-super-Mare that sold illegal tobacco and vapes.

The application was made by Avon and Somerset Police, supported by North Somerset Council’s Trading Standards, due to ongoing issues linked to Weston Supermarket in St James Street. 

The closure order will be in place for three months and prevents anyone from accessing the premises.

It follows a joint investigation with Trading Standards into the premises which found illicit tobacco and vapes were being sold to members of the public, including children, in some cases causing health issues.

This closure order is not connected to ongoing enquiries relating to a child falling ill in Weston-super-Mare earlier this week.

PC Anna Rees, of the Weston-super-Mare Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Weston Supermarket repeatedly sold illicit vapes and tobacco to the public, including children.

“Today’s closure order comes off the back of a significant amount of work over recent weeks and months building up evidence of this happening, and we’ve taken action because such items can pose a safety risk.

“We’re committed to working with our partners, including Trading Standards, to take action wherever they are being sold and these efforts will not stop.”

Cllr James Clayton, North Somerset Council Cabinet’s Member responsible for Regulatory Services, Sport and Pride in Place programme said: “I greatly welcome the closure of these problem premises and want to thank the Trading Standards Team who have worked so hard alongside partner agencies to bring it about.

“The present legislation for premises closures is very burdensome and requires detailed and time-consuming investigations on our part. I have discussed my concerns about this unacceptable situation with Dan Aldridge MP and will add my voice to any measures to enable closures to become both far quicker and more easily achieved.

“There will be no ‘safe space’ for this sort of illegal activity in North Somerset, and I remind commercial landlords that they need to be careful who they rent out their retail premises to.”