A Weymouth shop has been closed for three months after intervention by Dorset Council Trading Standards and Dorset Police.
Blue Shop, at 8a Coburg Place, St Thomas Street, was ordered to close by Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on 18 February 2026.
The court heard evidence from Trading Standards that the shop had repeatedly been found to be selling illicit tobacco, sometimes to children, and that there had been sales to undercover Trading Standards Officers.
A number of seizures of tobacco and vapes had been made and officers also found sophisticated concealments in the fabric of the building, which were being used to hide tobacco products that cannot legally be sold in the UK.
A joint visit by Dorset Council and Dorset Police on 2 February resulted in an immediate 48-hour closure because of criminal activity on the premises. The company director, Berez Fatahi, was arrested, and over £2,000 in cash was seized by a council financial investigator.
Legal representatives for Fatahi (aged 23), company director of Blues Hope Ltd (which trades as Blue Shop), who gave an address in Wakefield, contested the order during a hearing on 4 February. Magistrates adjourned the hearing until 18 February to allow Fatahi to present evidence to demonstrate why a closure was unnecessary. The shop remained closed in the meantime.
After hearing arguments from legal representatives for both sides, magistrates ordered that the shop must stay closed, for the maximum time allowed by law, with no access by the owners, until midnight on Sunday, 17 May 2026. The court also awarded costs of £8,181 to Dorset Council.
Cllr Gill Taylor, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Housing, said:
“The sale of illicit items like tobacco harms our communities and undermines legitimate businesses. Where our officers find evidence of criminal activity, we will act decisively with our partners to protect the public and disrupt the trade in illegal products.
“This case shows the value of continued joint work between our teams and Dorset Police. I’d like to thank them for their support in helping clamp down on those unscrupulous traders who damage our communities, public health, and the local economy.”
