Nottinghamshire secures closure orders after illegal vape and tobacco seizures

Nottinghamshire County Council says four shops have been ordered to close for three months after Trading Standards raids found illegal tobacco products and thousands of non-compliant vapes.

The council’s 7 October 2026 announcement says Nottingham Magistrates Court issued closure orders for premises in Beeston, Eastwood, Hucknall and Sutton in Ashfield. The orders took effect on Tuesday 6 October. The council says the action followed an investigation by its Trading Standards officers and Nottinghamshire Police.

According to the council, the seizures across the named shops had an estimated value of £110,845 and included illegal cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and vapes said to breach legal limits. The article lists 1,064 non-compliant vapes at Ezee Shop in Beeston, 795 at Your Shop in Eastwood, 201 at Hucknall Cloud and 6,282 at Bucharest Mini Market in Sutton in Ashfield.

The council also alleges that, despite previous warnings and visits, the shops continued to sell illegal tobacco products and vapes to children as well as adults. It says further investigations against the business owners are continuing.

Why it matters

For adult smokers and adult vapers, the case is another example of local authorities using closure powers alongside product seizures. It is not evidence about compliant refillable devices; it concerns products the council describes as illegal or non-compliant.

Current UK consumer-product rules restrict e-cigarette tanks to no more than 2ml, nicotine-containing refill containers to 10ml and nicotine strength to no more than 20mg/ml. Separate government guidance also says single-use vapes cannot be sold or supplied in the UK, whether or not they contain nicotine.

The practical point for readers is straightforward: legal access for adults depends on compliant products and responsible retailers. Enforcement against illegal supply should not be confused with the NHS position that nicotine vaping can be less harmful than smoking for adult smokers who switch completely, while remaining inappropriate for children and non-smokers.