Nearly 2,000 packs of illegal cigarettes were confiscated from Too Late Mini Market on Barton Street, Gloucester, which has now been ordered to close for three months. The closure began on January 27 and restricts access exclusively to Emergency Services and Trading Standards officials.
Since November 2023, Gloucestershire Police have conducted 37 test purchases at the shop, uncovering a significant volume of illegal tobacco products. In total, 1,999 packs of illicit cigarettes and 258 pouches of hand rolling tobacco, with an estimated value of £14,000, were seized.
Despite previous enforcement efforts, Too Late Mini Market has faced three prior closure orders, accumulating a total of nine months of shutdowns. Nevertheless, the shop owners reportedly continued to sell suspected illegal tobacco products.
READ MORE: Tuffley Rovers Manager Neil Mustoe Reflects on Progress and Challenges Ahead
READ MORE: Calls for Forensic Probe into Financial Crisis at Gloucester City Council
The latest closure order was secured through a joint application by the Gloucester Neighbourhood Support Team and Trading Standards. It will remain in effect until 11:59 pm on April 27. Anyone breaching the order risks imprisonment for up to three months and a fine.
Police Constable Tim Burch highlighted the persistent nature of the offense, stating, “Numerous test purchases at the shop revealed that workers would leave the premises to retrieve cigarettes from a vehicle before completing the sale. Too Late Mini Market has undergone more Trading Standards inspections than any other suspected illegal tobacco retailer in the area.”
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet member for Trading Standards, emphasized the broader impact: “Our Trading Standards team, alongside police colleagues, remains committed to disrupting illegal tobacco supply networks. It’s vital to understand that no duty is paid on these products, which means none of this money supports essential public services. Illegal tobacco sales are linked to wider criminal activity, and we will continue our efforts to safeguard the community.”
A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson reiterated that the shop’s closure restricts entry to authorized personnel only and confirmed the shop’s repeated involvement in illegal tobacco sales despite previous enforcement actions.