A shop has been shut down for three months after police and trading standards officers uncovered a stash of illicit tobacco and vapes.
Bright Express, on Rumbridge Street in Totton, was ordered to close by Southampton Magistrates’ Court on September 10.
This followed a joint operation between Hampshire police’s Totton Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) and Hampshire County Council’s Trading Standards. The investigation spanned several months.
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The closure order, granted under Section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, means the premises must cease trading until December 10.
During one raid on May 27, officials seized 216 packets of cigarettes (4,320 sticks), 46 pouches of hand-rolled tobacco, 156 illicit vapes and 50 food and drink items.
This contraband, had it been sold, would have fetched £3,326, while equivalent legal products would have totalled £8,529.
Members of the community provided information about anti-social behaviour and the shop being frequented by school-aged children, to which items were also reportedly sold.
PC Jess Surman, Totton NPT’s Local Bobby, said: “This shop has persistently stocked and sold illegal cigarettes and vapes, so we are very pleased to get this closure order in place to prevent further sales of potentially dangerous tobacco and vape products.”
She added that profits from such enterprises are often linked to organised crime, and removing them from the streets protects communities from unregulated goods while disrupting wider criminal networks.
Cllr David Harrison, Liberal Democrat for Totton South, praised the action.
In a post on social media, he said: “The police and Trading Standards have taken effective action against criminal activity in connection with this shop in Rumbridge Street, Totton.
“It has been closed and boarded up.”
Cllr Harrison added: “I must have walked past this shop a hundred times and never once saw a customer inside. No doubt they did occasionally sell a bottle of pop or a vape, but there are plenty of other options still available.”
PC Surman has thanked members of the public who reported concerns to the police, adding such reports “really do make a difference in our investigations”.
She added: “I’d encourage anyone with concerns about businesses that may be operating illegally to contact us.
“The more information we receive, the more action we can take, and the sooner we can take it.”
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