New plan to fix the UK’s high streets

Dodgy vape shops, barbers and nail salons linked to organised crime will be forced to close for longer under new legislation set to be introduced later this year.

The Home Office announced on 10 June 2026 that police and local authorities will receive stronger powers to shut rogue businesses while prosecutions are pursued against the criminal bosses running them.

Existing powers allow premises to be closed for up to six months, but businesses can often reopen before investigations have concluded, allowing criminal activity to resume.

Under the plans, the government will double the maximum duration of closure orders, giving investigators more time to gather evidence, pursue prosecutions and identify those directing activity from behind the scenes.

The extended orders will also prevent rogue operators from simply reopening and resuming illegal activity.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also instructed officials to urgently review the presence of vape shops, barbers and car washes on the skilled worker sponsorship list, following concerns about potential misuse of the system.

Any businesses found to be abusing the system will have their licences revoked.

“High streets across the country have been hijacked by criminal gangs operating in plain sight, running vape stores, dodgy barbers, and nail salons to launder their dirty money,” said Mahmood.

“I have launched a nationwide crackdown to raid and close thousands of illegal businesses, arrest bosses and seize their dirty cash. But I will go further, introducing new laws to close these shops for good and put criminal bosses behind bars.”

The announcement follows the launch of a national crackdown on organised crime operating through high street barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops.

£30 million of new funding will boost the police and trading standards response, with thousands of businesses expected to be raided, hundreds of arrests made and millions in cash seized.

The National Crime Agency estimates that at least £12 billion of criminal cash is generated in the UK each year, with £1 billion laundered through high street businesses such as mini-marts, barber shops, vape stores and sweet shops.

The new measures build on changes made through the Crime and Policing Act, which increased the duration of closure notices from 48 hours to 72 hours, helping councils gather enough evidence to shut down shops for longer periods.

As part of a rapid review into local responders’ powers, the government will also explore a new and longer temporary closure power specifically targeting shops involved in criminality.

This would mean local authorities no longer need to rely on evidence of anti-social behaviour alone to shut down these premises.

Criminals operating these businesses often go to significant lengths to conceal their identities and financial activity, making investigations complex and time-consuming as law enforcement agencies follow money trails and build cases.

The government said the measures will reduce the burden on police and the courts by ending the need for repeated applications to extend closures.

John Herriman, chief executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, welcomed the move.

“Closure orders are a key enforcement tool for Trading Standards Officers in tackling dodgy shops but our members have made us aware of challenges that limit their current impact,” said Herriman.

“Strengthening enforcement powers, including extending the duration of closure orders, is an important first step in addressing those issues.”

A new High Street Organised Crime Unit will work across government to strengthen the local and national response to organised crime on the high street.

The measures will be taken forward following a consultation with interested parties, with regulations to extend closure orders expected to be laid by the end of 2026.

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