Nottingham shops shut after police uncover illegal tobacco

Police and Trading Standards closed two Nottingham retailers after uncovering a hidden stash of illegal tobacco. At Sherwood Booze on Mansfield Road in Sherwood, officers found a false wall inside a shelving unit that concealed 308 packets of illegal cigarettes and 17 pouches of hand‑rolling tobacco, valued at about £1,625 and sold for as little as £5 a packet. The same day, Vape Zone on Upper Parliament Street in the city centre received a three‑month closure order after a front‑counter search revealed additional illicit cigarettes.

The joint investigation, which involved undercover visits between September 2025 and March 2026, led magistrates to grant the closure orders on 7 May. Police cited the health risks of unregulated products, many lacking mandatory health warnings, and warned that illegal tobacco sales can be linked to broader criminal activity. The closures are part of Nottingham’s Operation Reclaim, a city‑wide crackdown that includes high‑visibility patrols and collaboration with local authorities to make the city centre hostile to organized crime.