On 18 February 2026, Weymouth Magistrates’ Court ordered a local business to shut down for three months after it was caught selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco in Weymouth, Dorset. The Blue Shop, which is located at 8a Coburg Place on St Thomas Street, must remain closed to the public until midnight on 17 May 2026.
The legal action follows a series of investigations by Dorset Council Trading Standards where staff were found to be selling tobacco products that cannot legally be sold in the UK. During the investigation, evidence showed that the shop had repeatedly sold these items to children and to undercover officers who were testing the business.
Enforcement teams discovered secret storage spaces built into the walls and floors of the building that were used to hide the illegal stock. On 2 February 2026, police arrested Berez Fatahi, the 23-year-old director of the company and seized more than £2,000 in cash found on the premises.
In addition to the three-month closure, the court ordered the business operator to pay £8,181 in costs to the council. Local officials stated that the closure is intended to protect the community from the health risks of unregulated tobacco and to support other local shops that follow the law.
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