Leighton Buzzard shop shut down after £16k worth of illegal vapes and tobacco found in raid
A shop in Leighton Buzzard has been shut down for repeatedly selling illegal vapes and tobacco products after a sniffer dog found goods worth over £16,000 in underfloor compartments.
Trading Standards officers raided Cloudy Vape Ltd, in High Street, at the end of last month alongside Bedfordshire Police and a dog specialist.
This premises had been trading as New FONE UK, which was closed down in March. The business reopened under a new name in June, but within a week, there were reports that illicit cigarettes, tobacco and vapes were being sold again.
Five test buys were done at the store, with illegal cigarettes being sold every time.
During the unannounced inspection on September 26, a staff member became violent and try to escape, assaulting an officer in the process. They were detained at the scene.
With the help of tobacco detection dog Rookie, officers seized 706 packets of cigarettes, 420 illegal vapes and 70 pouches of illicit tobacco – with an estimated street value of around £16,000.
Inside the kitchen, two secret compartments were discovered. These large metal platforms, about the size of a dining table, were attached to hydraulic lifts that could be raised up from the basement. They were being used to hide illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes out of sight.
On October 1, Luton Magistrates’ Court granted a Section 80 Closure Order on the premises, and it will be closed until January 1, 2026. The council has said it also considering further action against the landlord.
Councillor John Baker said: “This is another example of our Trading Standards team working closely with the police to protect the public from harmful and illegal products. The scale of concealment and repeated offending shows a blatant disregard for the law. Closure Orders such as this send a strong message that we will not tolerate the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes in our communities.”