American Candy on Water Street in Burntwood has been forced to close for the second time in six months after Lichfield District Council officers discovered a stash of black-market cigarettes and vapes. On 2 June, Environmental Health officers and Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards raided the shop and found 5,720 illegal cigarettes, 67 illegal vapes, rolling tobacco and a car linked to the criminal operation. Cannock Magistrates' Court has now imposed a three-month Closure Order with immediate effect.
This marks the second maximum legal closure action against the same business in Lichfield. Officers previously shut American Candy in January after discovering illegal stock during a December operation. The repeated breaches have sparked concern among council leadership about the scale of the problem affecting Burntwood and the wider area.
Councillor Richard Cox expressed frustration at the repeat offence, stating that shops selling illegal cigarettes and vapes pose a risk to public health, damage legitimate businesses and are often linked to wider criminal activity. Anthony Screen from Staffordshire County Council added that these products fuel organised criminal networks and undermine the safety of local streets in Lichfield.
Council bosses are now pushing for tougher enforcement powers that would allow them to keep repeat offenders closed for longer than the current three-month maximum. The authority has signalled its determination to tackle the illegal tobacco trade that continues to operate across Burntwood and Lichfield despite repeated enforcement action.