Court orders three shops in same street in Boston to close again following re-offending

Three businesses in the same street in Boston have, for the second time in less than a year, been ordered to close for three months due to criminal behaviour on site.
By Court Reporter
Published 3rd Jan 2023, 12:54 BST
Updated 3rd Jan 2023, 13:15 BST
Three shops in the same Boston street have been ordered to close again.Three shops in the same Boston street have been ordered to close again.
Three shops in the same Boston street have been ordered to close again.

Lincolnshire Trading Standards successfully applied for the closure orders at Boston Magistrates’ Court earlier this month in relation to Bucharest, Tatry and EuroPlus, all in West Street.

Bucharest was issued with a three-month closure order at the end of May last year, with Tatry and EuroPlus receiving the same in mid-June. In each case, this was due to criminal behaviour on site – specifically, the sale of illegal cigarettes – discovered in raids on the premises.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

These latest closure orders are due to: three counts of supplying illegal cigarettes, one from each premises, after test purchases in November; one count of employing someone with no right to work in the UK (at Bucharest); and one count of offering to supply alcohol without a licence (at Tatry).

Most Popular
Bucharest, in West Street, one of the closed shops.Bucharest, in West Street, one of the closed shops.
Bucharest, in West Street, one of the closed shops.

Andrew Wright, principal Lincolnshire Trading Standards officer, said: "Criminal activity like this on West Street affects the lives of local people, and we take their concerns very seriously.

“There's a link between the sale of illegal cigarettes and other anti-social behaviour, and so we have taken this action in the hopes of reducing overall crime in the area."

He said Lincolnshire Trading Standards, along with its partners Lincolnshire Police Licensing and the Boston Neighbourhood Policing teams, would continue to take action in order to ‘improve the quality of life for the people of Boston’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We realise that this isn't 'job done', and we're appealing for any information anyone may have on the sale of illicit tobacco so we can take further action to improve the quality of life in this area,” he added.

EuroPlus, in West Street, also closed by the courts.EuroPlus, in West Street, also closed by the courts.
EuroPlus, in West Street, also closed by the courts.

Sgt Ian Cotton, from the licensing team at Lincolnshire Police, said illegal trading forces legitimate retailers out of business.

"The money from illicit sales is used to fund lavish lifestyles and vehicles and to further fund other criminal operations, including people trafficking,” he continued. “We will continue to target these illicit sales, with our partners, reducing associated crime and anti-social behaviour. Our aim is to make Lincolnshire the safest place to live, work and visit.”