Government proposes longer closure orders to help councils tackle rogue high street shops

The Home Office said this would mean councils no longer have to rely on evidence of anti-social behaviour alone to shut down these shops.

It added that existing powers allow local authorities to close shops for up to six months, but businesses “can often reopen before investigations have concluded, allowing criminal activity to resume and creating additional burdens for local authorities, police forces and the courts”.

Under the plans the Government will double the maximum duration of closure orders.

The longer shutdown will allow more time to gather evidence, pursue prosecutions and identify offenders while also preventing rogue operators from simply reopening and resuming illegal activity, the Home Office said.

The Government will introduce secondary legislation this year, aimed at building on changes made through the Crime and Policing Act, which increased the duration of closure notices from 48 hours to 72 hours.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “High streets across the country have been hijacked by criminal gangs operating in plain sight – running vape stores, dodgy barbers, and nail salons to launder their dirty money.

“I have launched a nationwide crackdown to raid and close thousands of illegal businesses, arrest bosses and seize their dirty cash. 

“But I will go further – introducing new laws to close these shops for good and put criminal bosses behind bars.”

Josh Nicholson, Head of Housing and Communities at the Centre for Social Justice, said: “For too long, organised criminal gangs have hijacked shopfronts on our high streets and got away with it.

“These gangs sell illegal tobacco, traffic drugs, and facilitate immigration crime from the heart of our communities, undermining the foundations of safe community life.

"Enforcement agencies tell us that they need stronger and faster powers to shut down these criminal shops for good. We welcome the Home Secretary’s commitment to strengthening closure orders which will give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on the organised criminals who operate across Britain’s high streets.”

The new measures will be taken forward following a consultation with interested parties, with regulations to extend closure orders expected to be laid by the end of 2026.

Harry Rodd