North East Lincolnshire Council is set to hold an emergency summit next month aimed at stepping up action against the illegal tobacco and vape trade.
The July meeting will bring together the council, its Trading Standards team, Humberside Police and other enforcement agencies to agree on ways to increase the frequency of raids and make better use of existing enforcement powers.
Council leader Cllr Oliver Freeston said the summit would focus on strengthening joint working between agencies to tackle rogue retailers involved in the sale of illicit tobacco and vaping products.
Announcing the initiative, Freeston said: "For too long, dodgy vape shops and other rogue businesses have made a mockery of our high streets through illegal trading, criminal activity and, in some cases, suspected money laundering."
He added that local residents were frustrated when enforcement raids resulted in some premises reopening within hours.
The summit follows the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which includes tougher measures to combat the illicit tobacco and vape market. Alongside creating a licensing scheme for retailers selling tobacco, vape and nicotine products, the legislation gives councils stronger enforcement powers, including extending the maximum period for shop closure orders from around three months to 12 months.
However, Freeston argued the new measures do not go far enough.
"Offending shops should be closed permanently, not just for 12 months as is being proposed," he said, adding that existing closure order procedures remain "slow, costly and burdensome to secure".
Despite his reservations about the legislation, Freeston said the council would work with enforcement partners to identify how current powers could be used more effectively.
"My team is leading the charge by bringing partners together at this emergency summit to strengthen multi-agency working and identify powers and options that could be used more effectively. We'll share the outcomes and next steps with you afterwards," he said.
Illegal tobacco and vape sales have been a longstanding concern in North East Lincolnshire. The issue was regularly highlighted by the previous Conservative administration and has also been championed by Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP Melanie Onn, who last year co-launched the parliamentary Shut Down Dodgy Shops campaign.
According to a Freedom of Information request obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service last year, North East Lincolnshire Council's Trading Standards team seized illegal and non-compliant tobacco products worth £1.9 million between 2021/22 and 2024/25.
(Reporting by Ivan Morris Poxton of Local Democracy Reporting Service)