Dover District Council and partners have forced a High Street, Deal vape shop to close for three months after illicit tobacco and cigarettes were seized from the premises.
Folkestone Magistrates granted the Closure Order against Deal Vape Shop on 5 November 2026 — just three days after enforcement officers walked through the door. Dover District Council, Kent Police and Kent County Council Trading Standards carried out the joint visit on 2 November 2026, seizing illicit tobacco and cigarettes before a Closure Notice was issued and the order subsequently sought.
The action came through the Dover District Community Safety Partnership, which pools intelligence and enforcement across the three agencies — the kind of joined-up approach that tends to move faster than any single organisation could manage alone.
According to Dover District Council, the closure sends a clear message that persistent illegal trading will not be tolerated. Residents and legitimate businesses, the council said, should not have to live with the consequences of that kind of activity.
The council said it will continue working with Kent Police and Kent County Council Trading Standards to disrupt the illicit tobacco trade across the district.
What happens next: The closure runs for three months from 5 November 2026, according to the Closure Order granted by Folkestone Magistrates.