Rogue shops face year-long shutdowns as the six-month limit is doubled

The government has announced plans to let authorities shut shops linked to organised crime in England and Wales for up to a year, doubling the current maximum closure of six months. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood made the announcement after 14 months of BBC News reporting on mini-marts, barbers and vape shops selling illegal cigarettes, vapes and drugs.

The government's own announcement says it is targeting dodgy vape shops, barbers and nail salons linked to organised crime. It says that under the current rules, businesses can often reopen before investigations have finished, so the criminal activity starts up again.

Nothing changes yet. The Home Office says the longer closure orders should become law by the end of this year. The new powers would then come into force in early 2027.

How the longer closure orders would work

According to the BBC, authorities in England and Wales can currently close a shop for three months. They can extend that to six months using anti-social behaviour legislation. The planned change would double the potential closure time, and the Home Office says it will make the change by laying secondary legislation.

The Home Office says the extra time will let investigators gather evidence, pursue prosecutions and identify who really owns a business. It also wants to stop rogue operators from simply reopening and carrying on as before. The government says that pattern creates extra burdens for local authorities, police forces and the courts.

Ms Mahmood told the BBC the government was "not prepared to tolerate" high streets being taken over by organised crime, and she described the measures as a "game-changing national crackdown". John Herriman, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said closure orders were a key enforcement tool for tackling "dodgy shops". He said there was "almost universal support" for the measures in his profession.

Who stands to lose out under a longer shutdown

The powers are aimed at businesses linked to crime. The BBC names mini-marts, barbers and vape shops, and the government also lists nail salons. Trading Standards officers told the BBC that longer closures would make it less financially viable for unscrupulous owners to simply sit out a closure order and wait to reopen.

Landlords could feel the effect too. The same officers said the change would force property owners to pay more attention to who they rent to. The rules cover England and Wales only, and the government says it will brief authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which use different legislation to shut shops.

Shoppers and residents deal with these shops day to day. A BBC undercover reporter found counterfeit cigarettes on sale on Soho Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, for as little as £3 a pack, while a genuine pack costs between £16.50 and £19.50 on average. PC Victoria Gaunt of West Midlands Police told the BBC that officers there had found shops selling prescription drugs, cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

Key numbers

• Six months: the longest closure currently possible, using anti-social behaviour legislation, which the government plans to double.
• Three months: the standard closure authorities can impose before any extension.
• £30m: the cost of the new High Street organised crime unit announced by the government last month.
• £3: the lowest price the BBC found for a counterfeit pack of cigarettes on Soho Road.
• £16.50 and £19.50: the range for the average price of a genuine pack, according to the BBC.
• 14 months: how long BBC News has been reporting on organised crime on high streets in England and Wales.
• 2027: the year the new powers are due to come into force, early in the year.

When the year-long closures would start

This is a plan and is not yet law. The Home Office says it will lay secondary legislation so that the extended closure orders become law by the end of this year, with the powers coming into force in early 2027. Until then, the existing six-month limit still applies.

The longer closures are one part of a wider package. Last month the government announced a £30m High Street organised crime unit, which it said would bring new police and Trading Standards officers, tax raids and a crackdown on illegal working. Late last year the home secretary also announced an urgent investigation led by the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement, HMRC and police forces from across England and Wales.

What you can do now

If you think a shop near you is selling illegal cigarettes or vapes, contact your local council's Trading Standards team. Report anything involving drugs, weapons or exploitation to the police. Cigarettes priced far below the usual shop price are a warning sign, and the BBC found fake packs for £3 against a genuine average of between £16.50 and £19.50.

If you own or let a commercial property, the Trading Standards officers quoted by the BBC expect landlords to come under more pressure to know who they are renting to. It makes sense to check what a tenant's business actually does before you sign, and to keep records, rather than waiting until a closure order arrives.

The government's announcement on new laws to shut down dodgy high street shops sets out the plans. It explains why ministers say the current maximum closure is too short.

Your questions answered

Will this close shops in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

No. The change covers closure orders in England and Wales only. The government says it will brief authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland about it, because they have different legislation for shutting shops.

When can councils and police start using the longer closures?

Not yet. The Home Office expects the change to become law by the end of this year, with the new powers coming into force in early 2027.

Why does a longer closure make a difference?

The Home Office says investigators often need more time to gather evidence, bring prosecutions and identify the real owners of a business. Trading Standards officers told the BBC that longer closures make it harder for rogue owners to simply wait out an order and then reopen.