Shop closed after selling illegal vapes to children

A corner shop, which sold illegal tobacco and vapes to children, has been closed down for three months by police.

Weston Supermarket in St James Street, Weston-super-Mare, was shut on Friday after an application was made by Avon and Somerset Police.

It follows a joint investigation with North Somerset Council's Trading Standards due to ongoing issues regarding the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes from the premises.

Police clarified this closure order is not connected to ongoing enquiries relating to a child falling ill after using a vape in the town earlier this week.

PC Anna Rees, from the neighbourhood policing team, said the shop had repeatedly sold illicit vapes and tobacco to the public, including children.

"The 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," she said.

Councillor James Clayton said he "greatly welcomed" the closure of these "problem premises".

He added he will support any measures to enable closures to become "far quicker and more easily achieved".

"The present legislation for premises closures is very burdensome and requires detailed and time-consuming investigations on our part," he explained.

"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."

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