A shop in Trowbridge may soon lose its licence due to ongoing illegal tobacco sales and related unlawful activities. Wiltshire Council’s Western Area Licensing Sub Committee will review the licence of 7 Days, located at 6 and 7 Wicker Hill, during a hearing on Thursday, July 10.
The premises is currently under a closure notice issued by Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on June 19, following persistent investigations by Wiltshire Council’s Trading Standards officers into criminal activities at the shop.
Since opening in September 2022, Trading Standards officers have repeatedly seized illegal disposable vapes, counterfeit tobacco products, and substantial amounts of cash from 7 Days. Despite multiple verbal and written warnings, the illegal trading has continued unabated.
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Key incidents include an undercover purchase of counterfeit cigarettes for £5 in July 2023, the seizure of 1,500 illegal vapes in October 2023, and another illicit tobacco sale recorded in May 2024. Reports of illicit sales have persisted through 2023, 2024, and into 2025.
In March 2025, officers discovered alcohol sales at the shop while its licence was suspended. Further concerns arose in April when a man near the premises was apprehended with hundreds of illicit tobacco packets and over £1,200 in cash, along with keys to the shop where he claimed to be residing. A subsequent police search uncovered additional illegal tobacco products and more than £6,000 in cash.
Despite sustained enforcement efforts, reports of illegal tobacco sales continued into May 2025, leading to the closure order currently in place.
At the upcoming hearing, Claire Francis, head of the council’s Public Protection Service, will recommend revoking the shop’s licence. In her report, she expressed serious concerns about the shop’s compliance with the Licensing Act 2003 and its suitability to hold a licence.
The licence holder, Mohamed Hawkar Aziz, has been invited to attend the hearing to respond to these allegations.