Store shut down over 'ongoing criminality' faces further punishment by city council

A convenience store in Wavertree shut down over selling thousands of illegal cigarettes has been slapped with further sanctions by Liverpool Council. Grab & Go on Lawrence Road was made the subject of a closure order by the local authority in July as a result of “ongoing criminality.”

Following a review by the city’s licensing and gambling sub-committee, its licence to trade items like cigarettes and alcohol has now been revoked. The shop was before the courts earlier this summer as part of Liverpool Council’s ongoing clampdown over illicit sales.

The committee was given a presentation by Daniel Blowes from the council’s trading standards team. It said: “Grab & Go have been subject to a three month closure order following ongoing criminality at the premises, with them continuing to sell illicit counterfeit/smuggled non-duty paid cigarettes, tobacco and vapes.”

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Mr Blowes said how over the course of the last two years, counterfeit and smuggled goods worth almost £4,000 had been seized from the store. This included 5,100 cigarettes, 54 pouches of tobacco and 180 vapes, some of which were hidden in boxes on top of fridges which required access via a ladder.

The officer wrote: “The premises continued to sell illicit products, despite being advised and warned to stop selling these and being offered guidance and advice by our team. The premises received two written warning letters, along with several verbal warnings following each seizure at the premises.”

A series of undercover test purchases were made by officers, four for cigarettes and two for vapes. Latest figures indicate more than 30,200 vapes valued at £362,736 have been collected by authorities.

Earlier this summer, the ECHO joined the alcohol and tobacco unit as locations in Allerton and Garston were closed down. Three individuals were also sentenced at Liverpool Magistrates Court in August for selling vapes to teenagers, including products such as a watermelon Elf Bar pen.

As a result of the closure order secured in July, Grab & Go must not open its doors until at least October. After this point, licence holder Sanhan Ismail Mahmood will not be able to sell licensable goods, such as alcohol or cigarettes, subject to an appeal period.