More than 330,000 illegal cigarettes have been seized by Northumbria Police last week from multiple premises.
According to local reports, officers from the force’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Byker and Benwell recovered £200,000 worth of suspected illegal cigarettes, 132kgs of hand rolling tobacco and a quantity of cash from three separate premises.
On Thursday (February 10), a haul of 180,000 cigarettes were seized after vigilant officers patrolling Shields Road in Byker saw suspicious behaviour near one of the shops.
On Friday (February 11), a self-storage unit linked to a Newcastle-based trader was also searched with the help of a sniffer dog and 130,000 cigarettes and 128kg of hand-rolling tobacco was seized.
The recoveries followed on from a visit earlier in the week that saw officers and Trading Standards join forces to carry out a series of checks. During one visit in the Benwell area, 2000 packs of around 40,000 suspected counterfeit cigarettes were seized along with five kilograms of tobacco.
Investigations into all cases currently remain ongoing.
Following the seizures, Chief Inspector Dave Wheeler from Northumbria Police has warned of the dangers of buying counterfeit goods.
He said: “Counterfeit cigarettes pose a real danger to people as they are not produced by licensed companies and contain unknown quantities of chemicals.
People might think that it’s OK to buy them and take that risk, but what they don’t see is that the money used from the sale of these items is often used to fund organised crime and further illicit activity.
“As a Force, we are committed to tackling serious and organised crime, as part of Operation Sentinel, and will continue to pursue those involved in illegal activities, as well as protecting the public from the potential harmful effects of this type of criminality.”
A selection of disposable vapes with bright and colourful packaging are seen in a convenience store, on January 29, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
The decision to ban disposable vapes by June 2025 has sparked strong reactions across the vaping and retail sectors, with key industry figures voicing concerns about the impact on public health and called for a balanced approach to support smokers switching to vaping as a safer alternative.
A spokesperson of Elfbar, the leading disposable vape brand, highlighted the role of the product in smoking cessation, citing that “nearly three million people in Britain have quit smoking using vapes in the last five years,” with single-use vapes comprising over 60 per cent of the UK market.
The brand warned of unintended consequences, noting, “Our concern is the potential impact on the majority of single-use vapers – adult smokers…pushing them to the black market and illicit products.”
Liam Humberstone, technical director at Totally Wicked, also pointed out the public health benefits of disposable vapes, noting they’ve served as “a key entry point for many smokers seeking an easy-to-use, effective alternative.”
While recognising environmental and youth access issues, Humberstone said “proper regulation, enforcement, and education are vital in addressing these concerns and … it’s crucial to ensure that adult smokers continue to have access to safer alternatives to cigarettes.”
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, welcomed the government’s intention to provide businesses with enough time to prepare for the changes, but added: “This is still a challenging timetable for retailers and their supply chains.” He called for strict enforcement against rogue sellers post-ban to prevent black-market sales, which “undermine legitimate retailers.”
Mo Razzaq, national president of the Federation of Independent Retailers, suggested an alternative approach to an outright ban, advocating for a recycling scheme akin to that for single-use drink containers. “An outright ban will simply send many vapers towards unorthodox and illicit sources,” he said, highlighting the risk posed by products that may not comply with UK health standards.
Consumer advocacy groups echoed these concerns. Mike Salem of the Consumer Choice Center criticised the government for pushing through the ban during Stoptober, a campaign month encouraging smokers to switch to vaping. “Announcing such a policy…seriously damages governmental and NGO efforts in reaching a smoke-free society by 2030,” Salem said.
The UK Vaping Industry Association’s director general, John Dunne, cautioned that a ban might exacerbate black market sales, saying, “Bans are not the answer as we’ve seen in other parts of the world…they will only boost the black market.”
Dunne advocated for stronger enforcement and proposed a licensing scheme for vape retailers to help control sales to minors and ensure environmental compliance, calling for “fines of up to £10,000 and £100,000 for retailers and distributors respectively who break the law.”
The Independent British Vape Trade Association’s chair Marcus Saxton also voiced concerns about the ban's potential to mislead the public on vaping’s relative safety.
“Banning an entire category of vapes is likely to fuel public misperceptions about the relative safety of vaping to smoking. Adults using single use disposable vapes outnumber those that are under 18 by several times. Consequently there needs to be clear messaging from government to encourage those adults not to simply revert to smoking,” he said.
Saxton criticised the absence of an importation ban in the new legislation, arguing that it will lead to increased illicit trade.
The government has laid legislation to introduce the ban and, subject to parliamentary approval, businesses will have until 1June 2025 to sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force.
High streets in the UK are collectively pay one third of all business rates while accounting for 9 per cent of the economy, British Retail Consortium (BRC) stated on Thursday (24), strengthening its call for a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail.
BRC and UKHospitalityare united in their call for the Chancellor to implement a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail at the Budget, which will rebalance a system that unfairly punishes our high streets and town centres. This was a manifesto pledge from Labour ahead of the election.
A lower rate for hospitality and retail, which together employ around six million people, would unlock investment in our high streets, while also stemming the loss of shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels, and the jobs that rely on them.
In 2023-24, retail and hospitality businesses combined to pay almost £9 billion in business rates, 34 per cent of the overall rates bill, while accounting for only 9 per cent of the overall economy.
Current business rates relief for retail and hospitality is set to end on 31 March, costing the sectors a combined £2.5bn. That would take their bill up to £11bn, accounting for 44 per cent of total rates.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, "Consumers want diverse and thriving high streets, but this is held back by the broken business rates system. It is the biggest barrier to local investment and prevents the creation of new shops and jobs.
"Already, the industry pays far more than its fair share – retail accounts for 5 per cent of the economy, but pays 7.4 per cent of all business taxes, and over 20 per cent of all business rates. The Budget is a great opportunity to right this imbalance, ensuring that retail pays a fairer level of business rates."
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said, "Hospitality is at the heart of our communities but the enormous value it delivers both socially and economically is under threat from the inflated business rates bill the sector has to foot.
"High street businesses paying one third of all business rates is absurd and one of the primary reasons why we see our businesses facing financial challenges – it makes running a pub, bar, café or restaurant, to name a few, incredibly expensive.
"Introducing a reduced level of business rates for the high street at the Budget can unlock millions in investment – from new venues to more jobs. Crucially, it would save our high street from countless closures if hospitality had to bear a billion pound business rates hike in April."
Northern Ireland family-run Nisa convenience store has come under Spar NI after 27 years following its acquisition by Henderson Retail. Nisa Circle K Silverwood store in Lurgan was operated by local retailer Patrick Hughes for the past 27 years.
Nisa Silverwood was acquired by Patrick Hughes in 1997. In the past 27 years the store has undergone significant developments due to Hughes' investments to help the business grow and provide more local jobs over the years.
Speaking of his decision to sell to Henderson Retail, Mr Hughes, said: “Henderson Retail taking over ownership and operations of the store is a great opportunity for the staff and the business itself.
“As a local grocer, I have seen how the company has accelerated the growth of convenience in Northern Ireland, investing in their properties to bring even more jobs, services and locally sourced products to communities.
"I have worked closely with the team to ensure the transition goes smoothly and our shoppers feel no disruption whatsoever. I have complete trust that the future of this store, future job creation for the local area and the opportunities surrounding that are vast and I’m delighted to leave this business in such capable hands.”
Under the new ownership, Henderson Retail will further develop and invest in the site, building on an already strong business model to enhance the services offered to shoppers in the local area. The company will soon submit a planning application that will further underpin their commitments towards improving the store for shoppers and staff through accessibility, sustainability, product range and modernisation of the store’s facilities.
Henderson Retail, which is part of the Mallusk-based Henderson Group, has invested £30 million in new stores, developments and renovations throughout its estate in 2024.
Henderson Retail now owns and operates 109 Spar and Eurospar stores in Northern Ireland. The company has recently opened an impressive new-build development at Eurospar Gilford and will open another at Eurospar Doury Road in Ballymena before the end of the year as part of the wider multi-million investment.
UK consumers are in a “despondent mood” as households brace for tax rises in the Budget next week, amid fears that Britain could be entering a “vibecession”, a situation of disconnect between the economy's performance and how people feel about their finances
Research firm GfK’s monthly survey of consumer morale shows confidence has slipped this month, to -21 points, the joint lowest this year. It found that households are gloomier about the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months, and also over the next year.
Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK, reckons consumers are "holding their breath” ahead of next Wednesday’s budget statement.
He said, "The largest drop though was in our view of the general economic situation over the last 12 months, down five points to -42. On the plus side, the major purchase index rose two points and future personal financial expectations by one point. As the Budget statement looms, consumers are in a despondent mood despite a fall in the headline rate of inflation. This month’s Consumer Confidence Barometer paints a picture of people holding their breath to see what’s in store for them on 30th October.”
“Consumer confidence fell one point this month to -21, taking the score back down to the level last seen in March this year. Also falling one point are both personal financial situation over the last 12 months and general economic situation over the next 12 months.
Although Labour ruled out increasing taxes on “working people”, various revenue-raising measures could be in the chancellor’s sights, such as capital gains tax (CGT), inheritance tax, employer national insurance contributions, and fuel duty.
A similar picture was presented by PwC on Thursday (24), showing that consumer sentiment index dropped to the lowest level in 2024, led by “notable declines” among those over 65 and the lowest socioeconomic groups.
Over 70 per cent of people polled by PwC are planning to make short-term spending cutbacks, and more households plan to spend less on Christmas presents and celebrations than those who say they’ll spend more.
The drop in confidence comes despite the easing of cost of living pressures recently, with inflation dropping to 1.7 per cent last month.
Nick Gillett, Co-founder and Managing Director of successful spirits distributor Mangrove Global, celebrates India’s contribution to classic toasts with its wonderful and increasingly well-known whiskies
October is here, and our thoughts turn to many of the remaining celebrations of the year – and first up we have Diwali. A time for lavish decorations, food, sweets, and drinks, Diwali begs the question: what will you have in your glass for a toast? For me there’s one answer, and it’s whisky.
Whisky as a category is changing. Enthusiasts are exploring beyond the shores of Scotland and Ireland and buying “world whiskies" from all corners of the globe. North America and Japan have had their moment – and now it’s India’s turn.
Indian whiskies showcase Indian traditions of whisky distilling – with some added innovation. The humid Indian climate ages the spirit much faster, giving deep, complex flavours. But the nation’s distilleries are experimenting with different casks, strengths, and ingredients to bring us fascinating liquids that are now sought after, all over the world.
Nick Gillett
We launched Indri in the UK a few months ago – and it’s been a runaway success that even we couldn’t have predicted. Distilled in Rajasthan, Indri uses six-row barley that’s been grown in the region for thousands of years. The ageing process varies across the range, but let’s take a closer look at the brand’s aptly named, limited edition SKU – Diwali. Aged in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks this whisky is smooth, sweet, and smoky. No bones about it, this is a collector’s item – and there will be another limited release this year.
So, this Diwali, ensure you celebrate India’s whisky-fuelled success and stock a bottle or two of the nation’s favourite on your shelf. And if you celebrate it, have a very enjoyable Diwali.