Closure hat-trick for Liverpool illicit vape retailer
February 17, 2026
An investigation found illicit vapes and cigarettes being stored in professionally installed wall and ceiling concealments at the store on 242 County Road, Liverpool. (Photo: Liverpool City Council)
A Liverpool convenience store has been ordered to close for the third time in less than three years after being caught selling illicit vapes and cigarettes.
The premises at 242 County Road was handed a three-month closure order on 5 February after Liverpool City Council’s Public Protection Enforcement officers found illegal vaping and tobacco products on sale. The latest owners, trading as American Candy, were also ordered to pay £1,988 in costs.
The shop has now been shut under three separate ownerships since late 2023, marking the first time a single premises in Liverpool has faced three closure orders following investigations by Public Protection Enforcement officers.
The store originally traded as Local Extra Mini Market and was first closed for six weeks in November 2023 after officers discovered illicit cigarettes and vapes hidden in professionally constructed wall and ceiling concealments. The court also awarded £600 in costs to the council.
Despite changing hands, the business continued trading and was again shut down for three months in May 2024 after further illegal products were uncovered. The second set of owners were ordered to pay £2,200 in costs.
Following another ownership change and rebrand to American Candy, enforcement officers once again found unregulated products being sold to customers, triggering the latest closure.
Liverpool City Council warned that illicit vaping and tobacco products may contain banned ingredients and fail to meet safety requirements set out under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, which limit tank sizes, refill volumes and nicotine strength.
Councillor Harry Doyle, cabinet member for health, wellbeing and culture, said: “Vapes can play a genuine role in helping people quit smoking, but only when they meet strict safety standards.
“What we’ve seen at this premises is the deliberate sale of unregulated, potentially dangerous products that put residents at risk.
“Closing this shop for a third time shows that we will not hesitate to act against businesses that ignore the law and undermine public health.”
