Shop could lose licence over illegal cigarettes

A Sheffield shop could lose its licence over the sale of counterfeit cigarettes and vapes.

Trading Standards called for a review following the discovery that Super Booze on Middlewood Road in Hillsborough was selling cheap, counterfeit and illegal cigarettes and vapes.

A report said the goods were "suspected to have been smuggled or illegally imported as they are not permitted to be sold in the UK and should not be stocked in wholesale or retail premises for supply".

A review will take place at a meeting of Sheffield City Council's licensing sub-committee on 11 May.

Trading Standards said officers inspected the shop on 5 February and found 51 packs of illegal cigarettes and 18 packs of illegal hand-rolling tobacco hidden under a shelving unit.

Twenty illegal vapes were also seized, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The report said: "Dealers in cheap and illicit tobacco products reap the financial benefits of supplying cheap cigarettes and tobacco at the expense of legitimate retailers by providing unfair competition to shops selling the genuine tax paid products.

"This may lead to honest retailers closing down and causing local economies to suffer.

"The supply of illicit and counterfeit tobacco products costs the taxpayer over £2.5bn per year in lost revenue."

Licence holder Colette Goode wrote to Trading Standards that she had been off work for six months and was unaware of the issues until she got notice of the licensing review.

Goode said she thought the store was being responsibly managed up to that point and immediately acted to sack shop staff for misconduct.

She apologised, took full responsibility as licence holder and said she had resumed direct oversight to ensure all licensing conditions were being met.

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