Council secures 10th closure order for illegal tobacco sales

Wiltshire Council has secured its 10th closure order against a premises selling illegal tobacco, following repeated enforcement action by Trading Standards officers.

On Monday, 19th May, Salisbury Magistrates’ Court granted a closure order under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for Romanco, 70 New Canal, Salisbury, requiring it to close until 19th July 2025. The order follows multiple instances of the sale and seizure of illegal tobacco from the premises. Only named habitual residents and authorised individuals may now enter the address. 

Romanco Stor Ltd was registered to the address on 24th October 2024, with director Rebwar Mohammad Abdulrahman taking on the lease shortly after. HMF Express Ltd now owns the business, and the director Biryar Mohammed must attend three hours of training provided by Trading Standards before the end of the closure period.

In November 2024, Trading Standards conducted a test purchase operation in response to intelligence that tobacco products were being sold to underage customers. A 16-year-old volunteer was initially quoted £6 for a pack of cigarettes, before the sale was ultimately refused. A legitimate pack of the same brand usually costs over £14.

In December, an undercover officer visited a previously closed shop in Salisbury and was directed to Romanco. There, staff sold him a packet of Richmond and Lambert & Butler cigarettes for £6 each. The next day, another undercover officer purchased a pack of Richmond cigarettes for just £5.

All cigarettes purchased were later confirmed as counterfeit, with the Richmond packs in non-standardised packaging.

A full enforcement visit followed, with officers and a tobacco detection dog uncovering 256 packs of cigarettes and 37 packs of hand-rolling tobacco hidden in drawers beneath the counter. All products were illegal and seized. Despite a formal warning issued to Mr Abdulrahman, further illegal tobacco was found at the premises in March 2025.

Cllr Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate and Waste, said: “This closure sends a clear message that illegal tobacco has no place in Wiltshire. These operations often target vulnerable customers, bypass important health regulations, and undercut legitimate local businesses. I’d like to thank our Trading Standards team for their continued vigilance and professionalism in protecting our communities.

“If you suspect that illegal tobacco is being sold in your village or town, please report it to Trading Standards at tradingstandards@wiltshire.gov.uk or report it online anonymously at https://www.tssw.org.uk/work-areas/report-it/”

Previous closure orders have been issued in Salisbury, Chippenham, Trowbridge, Devizes and Melksham in relation to illegal tobacco and vapes.