Peterborough store ordered to shut following seizure of drugs and weapons  

A store in Peterborough has been closed by police following concerns around drug dealing, exploitation, and links to organised crime.

The closure notice was served on Constanta Shop, 272 Lincoln Road, Millfield, on 22 July following a warrant carried out by the Neighbourhood Support Team (NST) where drugs and weapons were found, resulting in two men being arrested.

The application was initially contested by the owners on 24 July, but a full closure order was granted at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 7 August.

The convenience store is now closed until 7 November this year to all people, at all times, except for the emergency services, employees of the local authority and the landlord.

Any breach of the order is a criminal offence which could result in imprisonment of up to three months, a fine, or both.

“This closure order has been carried out as part of ‘Alliance’, which is a campaign to regenerate Millfield by tackling criminality in the area in a bid to make it an all-round better place for the community,” Sergeant Paul Delmer, from the NST, said.

“It involves us working with partner agencies and residents in the area to reduce the levels of organised criminality through a variety of targeted operations and policing tactics.

“I hope the closure order and arrests shows the community that we are committed to tackling their concerns and will continue to police this robustly through regular compliance checks and taking action against anyone found to be in breach.”