Tavistock Street Mini Market, located at 33 Tavistock Street, Bedford, was given the order by a Luton court last week (18 September) following repeated breaches of vape and tobacco sale laws. Test purchases revealed the ongoing sale of illegal tobacco and vape products. The investigation exposed increasingly sophisticated concealment methods, including a hidden compartment within the shop counter identified by specialist tobacco detection dogs. The council said the closure order marked “a significant milestone in safeguarding the community from the harms associated with illegal tobacco and vape products”. Councillor Phillippa Martin-Moran-Bryant, Bedford’s portfolio holder for housing and regulatory services, said, “Illegal tobacco and vape sales threaten public health, damage legitimate businesses, and are frequently linked to wider criminal activities.