Key Points
- Vape Zone in Adamsdown and Mini Mart Store in Llanrumney ordered to close for three months
- Shared Regulatory Services test purchases found persistent sales of illegal tobacco and vapes despite prior warnings
- Cardiff Magistrates’ Court granted closure orders after hearing both shops had continued unlawful trading
Cardiff (The Wales Times) 10 January 2026 – Two Cardiff convenience stores have been ordered to close for three months after magistrates heard they repeatedly sold counterfeit tobacco and illegal vapes despite formal warnings from trading standards officers.
According to reporting by Nation.Cymru, Vape Zone on Clifton Street in Adamsdown and Mini Mart Store on Countisbury Avenue in Llanrumney were shut following a series of test purchases by Shared Regulatory Services, which uncovered ongoing sales of illegal nicotine products at both premises.
What action have Cardiff authorities taken against the two shops?
Nation.Cymru reports that Shared Regulatory Services, which provides trading standards and related functions for Cardiff, carried out multiple test purchases at Vape Zone and Mini Mart Store before seeking court-backed enforcement action. The court was told that both premises persistently sold illegal tobacco and vapes to customers, in breach of trading and product safety regulations.
A closure notice was served on Vape Zone on 16 December 2025, and Cardiff Council then applied for a full closure order. Nation.Cymru states that a district judge at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court granted the order on 17 December 2025, requiring the shop to remain closed for three months.
In the case of Mini Mart Store, Nation.Cymru reports that a closure notice was also served on 16 December 2025. Following a contested hearing at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 31 December 2025, a district judge made an order for the premises to be closed for three months, after finding that illegal sales had continued despite earlier business advice and formal warnings.
Insider Media, reporting on the same enforcement action, confirms that the two Cardiff shops have been closed for selling illegal tobacco and vapes, and that the action followed a series of test purchases by Shared Regulatory Services which evidenced persistent unlawful trading.
As reported by Nation.Cymru staff reporters of Nation.Cymru, the court heard the retailers had continued to sell counterfeit tobacco and illegal vapes even after receiving business advice and formal written warnings, leading Shared Regulatory Services to seek closure orders as a last resort.
Why were the tobacco and vape products deemed illegal?
Nation.Cymru’s coverage states that the products sold at Vape Zone and Mini Mart Store included counterfeit tobacco and illegal vapes. While the article does not specify individual brands or device specifications, the description indicates breaches of UK tobacco and vape regulations, which govern product authenticity, packaging, health warnings and, in the case of vapes, limits on tank size and nicotine content.
According to Insider Media’s report, the enforcement followed test purchases that identified illegal tobacco products on sale, alongside vapes that did not comply with regulatory requirements. Such products are typically non-compliant either because they are counterfeit, unregistered, exceed legal nicotine limits or fail to display mandatory safety information.
Both outlets are reported to have received prior advice and formal warnings from Shared Regulatory Services, indicating that officers had previously identified concerns about the goods being offered for sale. The subsequent discovery of continuing sales of illicit products during test purchases formed the basis of the applications for closure orders at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court.
How did Cardiff Council and Shared Regulatory Services respond?
Nation.Cymru reports that Councillor Norma Mackie, Cardiff Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for Shared Regulatory Services, welcomed the court’s decision. She is quoted as saying that illegal tobacco does “great harm in the community” and that its cheapness and ease of supply are particularly attractive to young people and those on lower incomes, undermining the price incentive for smokers to quit.
According to the same Nation.Cymru article, Councillor Mackie also highlighted that the sale of illegal tobacco is often linked to wider criminality, with organised crime groups controlling the market and using proceeds to fund other offences. She stated that she was “delighted” to see enforcement action being taken and warned that offenders “need to know that they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products.”
Insider Media’s report underscores that Shared Regulatory Services resorted to closure powers only after advice and formal warnings had failed to secure compliance. The three-month closure period is intended both to disrupt the trade in illicit nicotine products and to act as a deterrent to other retailers who might consider stocking similar goods.
What wider context is there on illegal vapes and tobacco enforcement in Wales?
Nation.Cymru’s report on the Cardiff closures sits within a broader pattern of enforcement activity against illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco across Wales. Local authorities and trading standards teams have been stepping up inspections and test-purchase operations in response to concerns about youth access to nicotine products and the health risks associated with unregulated goods.
For example, Swansea Council has separately reported that eight vape shops in Swansea had their temporary closure notices extended by local magistrates after trading standards officers found illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco during a targeted operation. According to Swansea Council’s official statement, thousands of vapes and hundreds of packets of tobacco were seized, with officers emphasising the dangers posed by unregulated products and the link to other criminal activity.
Although the Swansea case involves different businesses and proceedings, it illustrates the same enforcement tools being used by Welsh authorities: temporary closure notices, applications to magistrates’ courts for extended closure orders, and the seizure and destruction of illegal nicotine products. These actions form part of a coordinated approach to tackling the illicit tobacco and vape market at local level.
In the Cardiff case, Nation.Cymru and Insider Media both report that the test-purchase evidence and the retailers’ failure to respond to earlier warnings were central to the decision to seek full closure orders, reflecting a stepped approach to enforcement that escalates when advisory measures do not achieve compliance.
How might these closures affect local communities and retailers?
Nation.Cymru’s reporting notes that the Mini Mart Store and Vape Zone operated in residential areas of Llanrumney and Adamsdown, where convenience retailers often provide everyday goods to local residents. The three-month closures will temporarily remove two outlets from these neighbourhoods, potentially affecting customers who used the shops for legitimate purchases as well as those who bought tobacco or vapes.
From an enforcement perspective, the closure orders are designed to protect consumers from unregulated nicotine products and to reduce the availability of cheap illicit tobacco that can encourage smoking initiation or hinder quitting efforts. Councillor Mackie’s comments, reported by Nation.Cymru, frame the action as both a public health intervention and a measure against organised criminality.
For other Cardiff retailers, the case serves as a clear signal of the consequences of stocking illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco. Insider Media’s coverage highlights that Shared Regulatory Services used test purchases and formal warnings before moving to closure, indicating that traders are given opportunities to comply but may face significant sanctions if they ignore regulatory advice.
What are the next steps following the Cardiff closure orders?
According to Nation.Cymru and Insider Media, both Vape Zone and Mini Mart Store are required to remain closed for a period of three months under the orders granted by Cardiff Magistrates’ Court. During this time, trading from the premises is prohibited, and any breach of the closure orders could lead to further legal action.
Shared Regulatory Services and Cardiff Council are expected to continue monitoring compliance with the closure orders and to maintain their broader programme of inspections and test purchases across the city. The outcome of these cases may also inform future enforcement strategies against illegal tobacco and vape sales in other parts of Cardiff and the wider region.
Nation.Cymru’s report indicates that Cardiff Council views the successful applications for closure as a deterrent to other businesses tempted to deal in illicit nicotine products, reinforcing the message that persistent non-compliance will result in court-backed sanctions.
The factual reporting by Nation.Cymru and Insider Media shows that the closures of Vape Zone and Mini Mart Store mark a significant step by Cardiff authorities in tackling the local illicit tobacco and vape trade, combining regulatory oversight, targeted investigations and magistrates’ court powers to restrict unlawful sales and protect public health.
