Gideon Amos MP calls for tougher measures on illicit trading

Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, has called for tougher measures on illicit trading after four shops were closed down in his constituency.

His comments came during a Parliamentary debate on high street shops, held in Westminster Hall yesterday (Wednesday).

Mr Amos, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on communities, said: “High streets are the heart of our communities, and we cannot allow them to become sites of decline.

“Both Taunton and Wellington have a fabulous range of independent traders, shopkeepers and publicans, who are making ends meet in a financial climate made much harder by recent tax increases.

"Footfall in Taunton, however, is up by 4.6% in large part due to their efforts.

“The Government must be on their side, and we must be clear that criminality on our high streets will not be tolerated.

“The hollowing-out of our police forces by the previous Government has allowed organised crime gangs to gain far too much of a foothold in our communities, with local communities paying the price.

“Let us make no mistake. Organised crime sits behind and at the top of all this, either employing or, quite often, exploiting migrants as suits their purposes and to do their dirty work.”

Mr Amos added: “Thanks to a local publican in my constituency, who came forward with vital information back in 2024, I raised illegal trading in Taunton and Wellington with Somerset Trading Standards and local police.

“I pay tribute to police officers such as Andy, the Trading Standards officers and my Lib Dem Somerset councillor colleagues, who oversaw the work that led to a number of high-profile closures.

“Taunton Market, Mr Taunton and Top Market have rightly been closed down, as has the Danya store in Wellington only last week, following just the kind of crackdown that was needed and that I have supported.

"It cannot be said too often to anyone flouting these laws in Taunton and Wellington or anywhere across the country: illegal trading is not welcome — you will be closed down, and you will be prosecuted.

"But we need to go further. Polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats found that three in five Brits want to see more power to control the number of vape shops on their high streets.

“The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has pointed out that we need properly resourced Trading Standards services, which means tackling the local government funding crisis — particularly the social care funding crisis, which is a burden under which councils such as Somerset are struggling.”

Mr Amos said that, under Liberal Democrat plans, councils would be given the power to issue closure orders to more swiftly shut down any shops engaging in criminality.

“Those powers would be expanded to ensure that repeat offenders’ premises are closed down permanently, and those whose ownership is under question would remain shut until the owner comes forward and faces up to the law.

“The Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, which must mean giving the bobby on the ground more powers to deal with this menace more easily and, crucially, with less paperwork.

"Officers currently spend almost half their shift on paperwork, when we all want them out and about in our communities.

“The Liberal Democrats propose giving officers the power to close down premises using closure notices for seven days, not just 72 hours. More importantly, they would not have to apply to the courts for an order.

"Our changes would mean that officers are able to close premises quickly and easily, reducing criminals’ scope for 'phoenixing' — setting up premises quickly under a different company — and constraining the ability to set up nearby alternative premises.”

Mr Amos said measures also needed to be taken against landlords who repeatedly rented their units to “dodgy” companies carrying out illegal activity.

“My Somerset councillor colleagues, supported by trading standards, have called for civil penalties against landlords who knowingly let their premises be used for illegal trading. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has also made that point.

“Landlords who repeatedly offend should lose their premises for at least two years; the premises should be handed over to the local council to be let out at reduced rents to genuine local businesses that play by the rules.

“The changes that the Home Secretary recently announced cannot come soon enough, but the Government should be much bolder.

“The Liberal Democrats want to see more police on our streets to restore proper community policing; swifter closure orders and notices, lasting up to seven days, with an end to the burden of paperwork that they currently generate, which slows our police officers down; and penalties for landlords who repeatedly turn a blind eye to whom they are renting their properties.

“These criminal gangs must be given no quarter in Taunton and Wellington or any other town centre in the country.”

In reply, Sarah Jones - the Crime and Policing Minister - said there were several areas for the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to look at.

“I know that it is already looking at what more powers we can have to close down the shops and stop them opening in the first place, as well as over the clustering of shops.

“We need to look at all those issues,” she added.

“I very much get the message that we have started a good piece of work, but there is a lot more to do.”