Wallasey vape shop shut for three months over illegal tobacco 2026

Key Points

• Everpool Shop & Vape in Wallasey has been ordered to shut down for three months after illegal tobacco products were found hidden in a microwave.
• Merseyside Police searched the Liscard Way premises on February 25 and found 1,720 illegal cigarettes and 0.75kg of illegal hand-rolling tobacco.
• The tobacco was hidden in a cupboard, inside a microwave, and inside a bag in the stockroom.
• Wirral Council Trading Standards subsequently found that illegal food was being sold, along with the absence of mandatory notices regarding the business name and age restrictions on sales.
• In June and October, test purchases of counterfeit cigarettes were made at the premises after additional complaints were made.
• Wirral Magistrates’ Court has ordered the closure of the premises for three months to prevent “public nuisance and criminal activity from the premises”.
• This shop is the 28th premises to have been closed in Wirral since December 2025.

Wallasey (Liverpool standard) October 30, 2026 — A Wallasey vape and convenience shop has been shut for three months after police discovered illegal cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco concealed inside a microwave, a cupboard and a stockroom bag.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Everpool Shop and Vape, on Liscard Way, was closed after Wirral Magistrates’ Court ruled that an immediate closure was necessary to stop the public nuisance and criminality associated with the premises.

The case forms part of a wider crackdown by Wirral Council Trading Standards and Merseyside Police on shops suspected of selling illicit tobacco and vaping products. The council says the Liscard Way business is the 28th shop in Wirral to be shut down since December 2025.

What Did Police Find at the Wallasey Shop?

Merseyside Police attended Everpool Shop and Vape on February 25. Officers seized 1,720 illegal cigarettes and 0.75kg of illegal hand-rolling tobacco during the visit.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the products were hidden in three places: inside a cupboard, inside a microwave, and in a bag stored in the shop’s stockroom.

The discovery prompted further action by Wirral Council Trading Standards. During later visits, officers identified the sale of illegal food and found that mandatory business-name and age-restricted sales notices were absent from the premises.

Why Was Everpool Shop and Vape Closed?

The closure order followed continued complaints and further evidence gathered after the initial police seizure. Wirral Council Trading Standards carried out test purchases of counterfeit cigarettes at the shop in both June and October.

After those purchases, a closure notice was served and the council applied to Wirral Magistrates’ Court for a three-month closure order. The court granted the order, requiring the shop to remain shut.

The Liverpool Echo reported that the court decided an immediate closure was necessary to “stop the public nuisance and criminality associated with the premises”.

What Does the Closure Order Mean?

A closure order under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 prevents people from entering the premises during the period of the order, except in limited circumstances authorised by the council or emergency services. Wirral Council has used the same legal power in earlier cases involving shops in Wallasey and Birkenhead.

In this case, the order applies to Everpool Shop and Vape for three months. The Liverpool Echo did not report that criminal charges had been brought against any individual in connection with the microwave discovery.

How Widespread Is the Wirral Crackdown?

The closure is the latest in a series of enforcement actions across Wirral. Wirral Council’s own news service, Wirral View, reported in September that two further closure orders had been issued after more than 35,000 cigarettes were seized across separate operations.

One of those cases involved Wallasey Shop, at 190 Brighton Street, which received a three-month closure order for a second time in 2026. Wirral View reported that officers found 2,500 illegal cigarettes and 1.05kg of hand-rolling tobacco hidden inside a washing machine; the shop’s sole owner, Amir Mahmadi, was ordered to pay £800 in costs.

Earlier in the year, Wirral View reported that Wallasey Shop and The Candy Shop in Moreton were subject to closure applications after repeated inspections and seizures of illegal tobacco and prohibited vaping products. The Liverpool Echo separately reported that Wallasey Shop had first been closed in April after officers found 20 packets of Top Gun cigarettes, totalling 400 cigarettes, when delivering a closure notice.

What Other Wirral Shops Have Been Closed?

The enforcement campaign has affected several businesses across the borough. In September, Wirral View reported that closure orders were issued against Liscard Shop and Vape on Seaview Road, C and A Convenience Store on Seaview Road, and 7 Days on Old Chester Road in Birkenhead.

The Wirral Globe reported that, during a July inspection, officers found 15 packets of illegal and counterfeit cigarettes and 0.2kg of hand-rolling tobacco hidden inside a bin bag. The court also made a forfeiture and destruction order for the illicit tobacco.

In April, Wirral View reported that Mr Blue Vape Shop on Borough Road was closed for three months after Trading Standards received a complaint alleging the sale of illegal cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco shortly after it opened.

Why Are Authorities Targeting Illegal Tobacco?

Illegal tobacco can undermine age-verification controls, avoid duty and expose consumers to products that have not passed legitimate supply-chain checks. Local authorities have increasingly used closure orders where repeated seizures, test purchases or complaints indicate continuing sales at particular premises.

Wirral Council has described its approach as robust action against the sale of illegal tobacco and vape products. In the September cases, the council said closure orders were granted at Wirral Magistrates’ Court under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The latest closure of Everpool Shop and Vape indicates that the council and police continue to use both seizure powers and court-ordered closures where they say illegal activity is linked to a premises.

Background of the Development

Wirral Council and Merseyside Police have carried out a sustained programme of inspections, seizures and court applications since late 2025. The Liverpool Echo reported in December 2025 that two Wallasey businesses had been banned from public entry for three months following legal action by Wirral Council.

Since then, closures have been reported at premises including Wallasey Market, Wallasey Shop, The Candy Shop, Mr Blue Vape Shop, Liscard Shop and Vape, C and A Convenience Store and 7 Days. The latest case involving Everpool Shop and Vape brings the reported total to 28 shops closed in Wirral since December 2025.

Prediction: What It Means for Wallasey Shoppers

For Wallasey residents and shoppers, the closure is likely to reinforce greater caution when buying tobacco or vaping products from smaller independent shops. Customers may increasingly look for clear business identification, age-restriction notices and properly labelled products, particularly where prices appear unusually low.

For legitimate retailers, the case may increase pressure to maintain accurate records, display required notices and avoid stocking products from unverified suppliers. For traders already operating lawfully, the council’s continued use of closure orders could make compliance checks and supplier due diligence more important.

For the wider Wallasey community, further closures remain possible if Trading Standards receives complaints or completes test purchases that support allegations of illegal sales. Based on the council’s recent pattern of enforcement, shops found with illicit tobacco are likely to face not only seizure of goods but also applications for court-ordered closure.