Second illegal vape shop shut down in Newcastle in just one month

A second Newcastle town centre shop has been forced to close in the space of just one month after being caught stocking illegal vapes.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has worked alongside Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team to secure a three-month closure order against Cobra Vape Shop, the maximum period available.

The order follows a warrant executed at the premises on Thursday, 16 July, when officers seized 71 illegal vapes with an estimated retail value of £923.

Magistrates at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre granted the closure order at a hearing on Tuesday, 28 July. The premises will now remain closed until mid-October.

Once the shop is permitted to open, it will continue to face unannounced inspections and test purchases.