‘Dodgy vape shops are undermining our high streets. We must shut them down’

Our high streets should be places where families feel safe and local businesses can thrive. But the rise of dodgy vape shops and fake Turkish barbers is undermining that.

These outlets are not harmless: they are fuelling organised crime, exploiting workers, and intimidating neighbouring businesses. I joined Humberside Police and Trading Standards on a recent visit to see first-hand how these shops operate—and why urgent action is needed.

Since my re-election in July 2024, I have raised this issue in Parliament. What began as a local concern in Grimsby and Cleethorpes quickly revealed itself as a national problem. MPs from small towns and rural areas are reporting the same brightly lit, bong-filled shops appearing at pace.

The concerns are serious. A recent BBC investigation showed that many of these businesses operate on a cash-only model, raising questions about tax avoidance and money laundering. Potential links to organised crime cannot be ignored. There are also worrying signs of exploitation, with people working for little or no pay—breaches of minimum wage law or even trafficking.

Squeezed out by loitering gangs

Legitimate high street businesses are left feeling intimidated. One hairdresser told me she no longer feels part of the community, squeezed out by the gangs loitering outside these shops.

Beneath polite offers of food and drink, the reality is sinister. Shops run permanent CCTV, with watchers hidden behind curtains and others filming us on arrival. Whispered alerts spread along the street, while records showed hundreds of supposed sales a day in near-empty stores. Property ownership changes hands constantly, leaving behind a trail of unpaid bills and seizures nationwide.

At one raid, documents showed at least eight different names linked to the same premises within just two years, with ties stretching from Telford to Prestwick. Staff routinely denied responsibility: “just looking after it for a friend” was a repeated refrain. When pressed, stories shifted rapidly, from disowning the shop to reluctantly admitting employment—though never ownership.

The money involved is huge

Despite confiscations, Trading Standards simply do not have the resources to keep pace. The money involved is huge. In one shop, a ledger showed daily takings of around £900, mostly from vape sales. Multiply that across 40 or 50 shops locally and the figures suggest profits that are scarcely believable, around £40,500. 

And if they’re open 7 days a week, that’s £283,500 potentially being made. If this were the case, I am convinced our local economy would be booming, business rates climbing and the general feel and look of the area would be vastly different to how it currently is.

This is not a handful of rogue traders. It is a coordinated network. Shops are designed for delay, with illegal goods hidden in false ceilings or adjoining flats. Staff rotate constantly. And even when raided and closed, they often reopen within hours.

So, what is to be done?

1. There must be minimum seven-day closure orders for any shop found selling illegal goods. Raids are pointless if doors reopen a few hours later.
2. Repeat offenders should face longer closure periods and tougher penalties. A clear message must be sent that this behaviour will not pay.
3. We need to follow the money. These businesses are not surviving on a handful of vape sales. We must track the flow of cash and uncover where it is really going.
4. Landlords must be held accountable. Too many properties are rented to operators who disappear overnight, leaving unpaid bills and criminal activity behind. If landlords knowingly turn a blind eye, they should face consequences.
5. This should be treated for what it is: organised crime. That means stronger policing, more resources for Trading Standards, and coordination with other agencies.
6. We need better engagement with local communities. People deserve clarity on the rules, reassurance that the law is being enforced, and support to bring variety and footfall back to the high street.

Councils, landlords, police and Trading Standards must work together to shut these shops down. Only then can legitimate businesses thrive and local families feel safe.

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Elsewhere, some authorities are beginning to act. In Wigan, the council has called on the Home Office for a Licensing Act review, recognising the need for stronger national rules. In Newport, a two-year operation between the council and Gwent Police closed over 25 illegal shops. This kind of sustained, coordinated approach is exactly what’s needed.

Labour has already set out a plan to restore safety and fairness to our streets. We are recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs, funded by ending wasteful contracts, so every community can see visible policing again. We will strengthen trading standards enforcement, clamp down on tax avoidance, and give councils the powers and funding they need. Organised crime will be treated with the seriousness it deserves, with tougher penalties and new resources for investigation.

There is room for everyone on our high streets, but only if everyone plays by the rules. People in Grimsby and Cleethorpes should not feel unsafe in their own communities, and I will keep pressing for the fair enforcement that families and businesses rightly expect.

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