Hertsmere Borough Council has secured its first closure order against a shop in Borehamwood selling illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes, following a joint operation with Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs.
The council took action to obtain the closure order for the M1 Mini Mart in Shenley Road, following 13 visits to the property by Trading Standards officers, since it opened in 2023. In total, they seized more than £40,000 worth of illegal products.
On Monday, 20 October, in a joint effort officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary, Trading Standards and the council executed a search warrant at the shop and two men were arrested on suspicion of unauthorised use of a trademark - they have since been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in January 2026.
A further 24,000 cigarettes, 4kg of tobacco, 160 vapes and 6.5kg of shisha were also seized.
Following the search, the council attended St Albans Magistrate’s Court to apply for the closure order under Anti-Social Behaviour Legislation, which was granted on Tuesday, 21 October, preventing the shop from opening for the next three months.
The successful result was the culmination of collaborative work between all the partner agencies to prevent illegal activity at the shop, and to protect the local community from unsafe and unregulated products.
Councillor Christian Gray, Portfolio Holder for Communities, Neighbourhoods, Enforcement, Economic Development and Transformation said: “This was a recurring, highly organised and lucrative criminal operation that showed a blatant disregard for the law and for our local community. I hope the successful closure order sends a clear message to criminals that we will not tolerate the illegal sale of tobacco and vapes in our High Street, and we will remain determined to work alongside our partners to get them shut down.
“This is a landmark case for our council. It is the first time we have used these powers, and the successful result shows what we can achieve when we work together. I would like to thank colleagues at Herts Police, Trading Standards and HMRC.
“Over the coming days our civil enforcement officers will be out in the town centre providing support and information to other traders. Our work goes on to monitor the shop to ensure it remains closed."
Neighbourood Inspector Rachael Robertson, Hertfordshire Constabulary said: “This operation formed part of our ongoing work under the Safer Town Centres initiative, to ensure that Borehamwood is a safe place for people to live, work and visit.
"Two people were arrested and the case is progressing.
“We will continue to work with our partners to target those committing crime in our local communities.”
Councillor Ajanta Hilton, Executive Member for Public Health and Community Safety at Hertfordshire County Council said: “This action sends a clear message that we will act against businesses that aren’t complying with the law on the sale of vapes.
“This collaborative approach, bringing together our Trading Standards team, the borough council, Herts Police and HMRC is showing real results and helping to keep our residents safe.
"It’s important that we protect our residents, particularly children, from the risks posed by vapes, and we also carry out similar operations around tobacco, alcohol and knives.
“If any businesses are unclear about the regulations and their responsibilities, our Trading Standards team can provide advice and support to help them operate in a safe and legal way.”