Shop closed down for selling counterfeit tobacco A HARTLEPOOL shop has been closed by the courts f - Tuesday 02 May 2017

By Hartlepool Alert

Shop closed down for selling counterfeit tobacco A HARTLEPOOL shop has been closed by the courts for selling counterfeit tobacco. Baltic MiniMarket in Oxford Road was closed following the making of a Closure Order by Teesside Magistrates Court. The Closure Order, issued under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 requires the premises to remain closed for three months following a Hartlepool Council Trading Standards investigation that included undercover officers being sold counterfeit tobacco on six separate occasions and further counterfeit tobacco being seized during five Trading Standards raids. The Trading Standards investigation was launched in March 2016 following complaints of nuisance linked to the sale of counterfeit tobacco. Over a period of ten months, undercover officers visited the premises a number of times and were able to purchase tobacco each time. Even when the premises were searched and counterfeit products removed, the shop was restocked quickly and sales continued. Hartlepool Councils Trading Standards Licensing Manager Ian Harrison said These premises have shown a continued disregard for the law. As this was causing a nuisance for the local community, powers to close the premises were used on Tuesday 11 April and this was followed by a successful application to Teesside Magistrates for a three month Closure Order. In compliance with the legal process, we have consulted those who may be affected and are satisfied that the closure is both proportionate and necessary. This is also a warning to other shops that sell counterfeit goods. The Courts have sent a clear message that continued illegal activity of this nature will not be tolerated and can lead to a business, or a premises, being closed down. The Closure Order makes it a criminal offence for anyone, other than the owner, to enter the premises. Baltic MiniMarket had its alcohol licence revoked in October 2016 but it had continued to sell other goods. Anyone with information about the sale of counterfeit goods can contact Hartlepool Councils Trading Standards Team on (01429) 523362.

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