Norfolk Trading Standards officers have seized close to 150,000 illicit cigarettes and shut down five businesses as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal tobacco and vape sales across the county.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health highlighted the results at the September cabinet meeting, calling for stronger legal powers to allow councils to close rogue businesses and keep them closed.

Officers say the illegal trade is being driven by organised criminal networks, and the council is now training a dedicated tobacco sniffer dog to bolster its enforcement capability.

The cabinet member urged Norfolk residents to report any suspicious businesses through the council's website, stressing that intelligence from the public is key to disrupting these operations.

The council is also lobbying for tougher national powers, arguing that current rules make it too easy for closed businesses to reopen and continue trading illegally.