Bog standard crime as Illegal vapes and tobacco found under toilet at town shop

Thursday, 5 June 2025 17:03

By David Murphy

Closure notice outside Drake Street Food Store, also known as Polski Sklep

A shop on Drake Street has been forced to close for three months after council officers found counterfeit cigarettes, illegal vapes and unsafe goods hidden inside, including under a toilet.

Rochdale Borough Council has secured a closure order against Drake Street Food Store, also known as Polski Sklep, following repeated breaches of trading laws. Trading standards officers uncovered more than 33,000 fake cigarettes and 26kg of hand-rolled tobacco during a series of undercover inspections at the shop.

Illicit products were discovered concealed inside the premises, in a commercial bin at the rear of the property, and in parked vehicles nearby. Items were also found hidden in a hole under the shop’s toilet.

The store, located at 138a Drake Street, continued to sell illegal items despite being warned multiple times by the council. Other goods seized included food not labelled in English and children’s toys that failed to meet safety standards.

Cigarettes were sold at heavily discounted prices, as low as £4 per pack, undercutting legitimate businesses and posing a potential health risk to consumers.

The closure order was granted by Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 4 June after the council argued that the activity was likely to continue unless the shop was closed down.

Councillor Tricia Ayrton, the council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for climate change and environment, said: “Our efforts to take these illegal products off our streets really uncover the extent these criminals will go to – not least concealing them in a hole under a toilet of all places.

“Despite repeated warnings, the people running this business clearly believed they were above the law. The health and safety of our residents is incredibly important, and we will always act when public protection is at risk.”

The court order will see the premises closed for the maximum three month period permitted under current legislation.

Inspector Meena Yasin from Greater Manchester Police, who leads Operation Tetbury, added: “We want to make Rochdale town centre a safer place to live, visit and invest in. This closure order represents the power of joint working, combining criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement to tackle problem premises.”

The council has urged residents to report any suspicion of counterfeit tobacco or other illegal goods being sold locally. Reports can be made to trading standards via trading.standards@rochdale.gov.uk or by calling 0808 223 1133.