SEVEN more shops in Torquay and Paignton have been shut down by trading standards officers.

The 48-hour closure notices were served on five shops in Torquay and two in Paignton on Tuesday.

It is understood the closures were in relation to anti-social behaviour and the sale of illegal tobacco.

Torquay police said on social media that the closures were part of Operation Marshal, which is a joint initiative with the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service.

The service covers Torbay, Devon, Plymouth and Somerset councils.

In a post on Facebook a police spokesperson said: “Under Operation Marshal and our strong working relationship with trading standards a number of commercial properties were served closure notices.

“Continuing our use of this option, two residential properties in Torquay were also served partial closure notices.”

Officers will request three-month closure orders for all of the premises when they appear in front of Plymouth magistrates.

Torbay has emerged as a hotspot for the trade in illegal tobacco and vapes in recent months.

Trading standards officer Melanie Walker told a Torbay Council meeting last month: “There is no other location that has as many premises involved in the illegal sale of tobacco as Torbay.”

She said the racket had links to organised crime, modern slavery and even the trade in guns and drugs.

“It’s not just buying a cheap packet of fags from a local store,” she said. “The organised crime involvement is significant.”

Counterfeit tobacco, she said, sold for as little as £5 per pouch, compared to £35 in supermarkets. Illegal cigarettes cost £5 a pack compared to £15 in legitimate stores.

Fake brands with names like ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Manchester’ are manufactured in huge quantities overseas in places including Belarus and Dubai.

She said prosecutions took too long and sentences were too lenient, meaning that officers chose ‘disruption’ instead, closing shops and seizing cash and assets.

The seven shops closed on Tuesday were Milano Mini Market in Tor Hill Road, Torquay; Cheeto Market in Union Street, Torquay; International Mini Market in Union Street, Torquay; Kurd Fade (Barbers) in Union Street, Torquay; The Mist Market in Fleet Street, Torquay; Blueberry Store in Torbay Road, Paignton and Laz One Shop in Torquay Road, Paignton.