Crackdown on illegal tobacco and vapes forces shops to close

Date published:  28 July 2026

Two convenience stores in Evesham and Pershore have been handed three-month closure orders after being repeatedly found selling illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes with a retail value of more than £16,000.

Evesham Mini-Market, on High Street and Pershore Home Store, on Broad Street, were ordered to close by Worcester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 10 July under section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Both businesses had already been given temporary 48-hour closure notices by council officers on Wednesday, 8 July.

The action was brought by Worcestershire Regulatory Services, acting on behalf of Wychavon, and followed an extensive investigation by officers from Worcestershire County Council Trading Standards, supported by the Evesham and Pershore Safer Neighbourhood policing team.

Multiple visits and test purchases carried out on Evesham Mini-Market resulted in the seizure of £8,683.80 worth of illegal vapes, cigarettes and tobacco.

At Pershore Home Store, officers found a total of £7,434 worth of illegal tobacco and cigarettes stashed in unique hiding places including an electronically operated ceiling gantry and a hole in the floor concealed by something resembling a dog kennel.

Closure-orders are used to stop persistent criminal activity, serious nuisance or disorder when other enforcement options have failed. The three-month closure order can be extended by up to three months if it is believed there is a risk criminal activity may begin again.

It is the second time in a month Worcestershire Regulatory Services has taken to close down illegal activity in the Vale. In June closure-orders were secured against International Mini Market and Super Mini Market, both based in Port Street in Evesham, after raids over a two-year period resulted in the seizure of more than £269,000 worth of illegal products.

Cllr Rick Deller, Wychavon’s Executive Board Member for Housing, Regulatory and Customer Services, said: “Securing these further closure orders should provide further reassurance to residents that all partners are committed to working together to drive organised crime out of our town centres. It should also send a message to businesses, who can lose as much as £1,000 a week in sales through this sort of illegal activity, that we are behind you and will take action against those who refuse to play by the same rules as everyone else.”

Cllr Josh Robinson, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment and Communities, said: “This operation is a clear example of the valuable work carried out by our Trading Standards Officers every day. Tackling the sale of counterfeit tobacco helps protect residents from potentially harmful products while also addressing the criminal activity behind their distribution. Through effective partnership working with Wychavon District Council and West Mercia Police, illicit goods have been identified and removed from circulation, helping to safeguard public health and support honest traders. The commitment, expertise and professionalism shown by officers from all the services involved should be commended, and the wider community is safer as a result.”