Closure order issued to premises found with 1,200 packs of illegal tobacco

A local premises has been issued a three-month closure after inspections after repeated illegal tobacco sales.

Grab & Go, at 118 Waterloo Road, Burslem, was found with 167 illegal vapes and 1,200 packs of illegal tobacco during enforcement action in December 2025.

The premises was previously closed in July 2024 but reopened in 2025. Later inspections found illegal tobacco was still being stored and sold.

Despite being given a formal warning in December, two further test purchases of illegal tobacco were made this year.

As a result, a three month closure order has been granted.

Councillor Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “I welcome this closure of another persistent offender – we will not tolerate the storage and sale of illegal tobacco in Stoke-on-Trent.

“Our Trading Standards team work hard with our communities to remove illegal substances and issue closure orders. It helps protect young people from being sold these products and ensures legal business is not undermined.

“This forms part of the city council’s wider work to reclaim our streets and make town centres family friendly. I urge anyone with concerns about illegal tobacco and vapes to contact our trading standards team.”

To contact Trading Standards, call the hotline at 01782 238884 or visit www.stoke.gov.uk/tradingstandards