Exclusive:Let Scottish officers close illegal tobacco 'dodgy shops', SNP Government told
Twenty Scottish MPs have signed a letter urging the SNP administration to give officers the power to shut businesses selling illicit tobacco - like their counterparts down south can.
The Scottish Government has been told to let Trading Standards Officers close “dodgy shops” selling illegal cigarettes and vapes.
Twenty Scottish MPs have signed a letter urging the SNP administration to give officers the power to shut businesses selling illicit tobacco - like their counterparts down south can.
It comes after Trading Standards said there had been an “explosion” of illegal tobacco sales - generally at cheaper prices - across Scotland’s high streets.
The products may have been legally produced in another country, but many are made in unregulated factories and do not follow safety standards.
Tests have shown some products containing rat droppings and woodchips.
A score of Scottish Labour MPs, led by Kirsteen Sullivan, have urged the Scottish Government to empower Trading Standards Officers.
Bathgate and Linlithgow MP Ms Sullivan said: “Recently we’ve heard concerns about illicit goods being sold on highstreets up and down the country, alongside a skyrocketing number of products containing lithium batteries.
“With a growing need for eyes and ears in our town centres, rogue traders are harder to tackle with a 50 per cent reduction in Trading Standards Officers since 2002 alongside an aging workforce.
“Whilst there is no silver bullet, it is clear that Trading Standards Officer numbers must recover if we are to get dangerous goods and products off our shelves.
“With the UK government tackling this head-on with an extra £6 million to bolster trading standards enforcement in England and Wales, the Scottish Government must pass on the additional funding from Westminster and give Trading Standards Officers the same Closure Orders used successfully in other parts of the UK.
“Trading Standards officers are on the front line, and we want to see them equipped with the resources and enforcement tools they need.
“These powers send a clear message that persistent offending will not be tolerated, and there is no reason Scottish communities should have weaker protections than those in rest of the UK.”
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A recent report by the BBC revealed that Trading Standards and HMRC had raided one shop 11 times since 2024. On nine of these occasions they had found fake tobacco.
Currently Trading Standards in Scotland can only issue fixed penalty notices to those caught selling tobacco and vapes to under 18s.
But their counterparts in England and Wales can shut down shops for breaking the law.
Trading Standards say many of the shops are linked to organised crime and that the cheap cigarettes and vapes they sell are not solely about avoiding tax duty.
The Scottish Government was approached for comment.
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