A Lancashire shop caught selling illegal tobacco and illicit vapes has been forced to close for three months. Bacup Mini Market on Union Street was shut down after a closure order was granted at Burnley Magistrates Court on Wednesday 14 October, following what police describe as months of failed inspections and test purchases.
Months of work behind the order
Lancashire Police and Trading Standards officers carried out the inspections and test purchases together, with local Neighbourhood Policing Teams also involved. Police say the store was found selling illegal tobacco and illicit vape products across a sustained period, not in a one-off check.
The case is part of Lancashire Constabulary’s Operation Centurion, a county-wide crackdown on anti-social behaviour and criminality backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.
What the closure order means
| Shop | Bacup Mini Market, Union Street, Bacup |
| Order granted | Wednesday 14 October, Burnley Magistrates Court |
| Duration | Three months, the maximum for an initial order |
| Ends | Thursday 14 January 2027 |
| Penalty for entering | Criminal offence, punishable by fine and/or imprisonment |
Police and council react
Tony Norman, Civil Orders Officer for the East, said the force would “continue to target shops who sell illegal tobacco and illicit vapes, which are damaging for our communities,” adding that the closure should remind the public their reports lead to action.
Cllr Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities, said illegal tobacco and illicit vapes “have no place on our high streets,” warning they put consumers at risk, undercut honest traders and fund wider criminal activity. He urged anyone with information about illegal sales to report it, calling public intelligence vital.
Another closure in a week of enforcement
The Bacup order lands just days after a Gloucester shop was shut for three months over a similar haul of illegal vapes and tobacco. Read more on the Gloucester closure order.
With tougher UK vape rules taking effect on 29 October, including wider age restrictions and promotional bans, Trading Standards teams are signalling that closures and test purchases will only intensify.
Source: Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire (hellorayo.co.uk) reported the closure order on 16 Oct 2026, with statements from Lancashire Police and the county council.