Three Boston shops hit with closure orders

Market Azadi, West Street, Boston. Ordered to close for three months.

Three Boston shops have been ordered to close for three months by Trading Standards officials after being caught supplying counterfiet, unsafe or non-duty paid cigarettes.

According to Lincolnshire Trading Standards and Lincolnshire Police, on June 20 officials applied for Closure Orders for four premises trading in Boston.

Three of the orders were successfully granted by magistrates.

The shops are Market AZADI, at 17 West Street, Bucharest, at 95 West Street, and Europlus, at 30 West Street, all in Boston.

Euro Plus in West Street, Boston, also ordered to close for three months.

A Closure Order for a fourth premises, Sophia, at 7 Horncastle Road, Boston has been adjourned for two weeks to allow the closure to be contested, although the magistrates did order that the premises remain closed in the

interim.

Andy Wright from Lincolnshire Trading Standards, said: “The magistrates granted the orders for the maximum period allowed by the law - three months. However the option of extending that by a further three months will be considered in future if necessary.”

Trading Standards officers, assisted by Lincolnshire Police, visited the premises on June 19, where officers say large quantities of illegal, child-appealing vapes were also found and seized.

The majority of these closures took place in areas of concern to members of the public where they have reported to police that they feel ‘at risk’. Trading Standards and the police say in their statement on the matter that they are listening to the concerns of residents, and this is one example of steps being taken to make Boston a more secure place to live.

Inspector Colin Clarkson from Lincolnshire Police said: “We’ll continue to work with Lincolnshire Trading Standards to protect the public from dangerous products.”