EXTENSIVE raids carried out by a team tasked with stubbing out the sale of illegal cigarettes across Barnsley resulted in more than £200,000 worth of items being seized in just a year, the Chronicle can reveal.
A huge spike in illicit cigarettes has been recorded across the country, which has seen Barnsley Council’s Trading Standards enforcement team target sellers.
More than 30,000 illegal cigarettes have been taken off Barnsley’s streets since 2023/24.
They’re now the sixth best-performing local authority in the country, with £214,792 worth of cigarettes being seized in 2025/26, according to a Freedom of Information request.
As well as this, thousands of pounds have been clawed back at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court in fines following successful convictions against shop owners, and subsequent three-month closure orders.
Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: “Our teams are committed to tackling and preventing the sale of illegal tobacco in Barnsley, protecting the health and safety of our communities.
“While all tobacco poses significant health risks, these unregulated products can contain higher levels of harmful substances, meaning they could be even more dangerous to people’s health.
“This result is a fantastic example of how we will take action against anyone selling illegal tobacco in our borough and putting our communities at risk.
“I’d like to thank our teams as well as South Yorkshire Police for their dedication to keeping our communities safe.”
Trading Standards officers who work alongside Barnsley Council and South Yorkshire Police now have the power to refer cases to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for further investigation where businesses or individuals have been found to sell illicit tobacco.
New legislation came into force in 2023, paving the way for anyone responsible to be fined up to £10,000.
Depending on the severity of the breach, rule-breaking businesses could receive a penalty of between £2,500 and £10,000, have their tobacco products seized or lose their licence to buy tobacco for resale in the UK.
Christina Heeley, service manager for Trading Standards at the council, added: “It’s a growing problem in Barnsley at the moment but we’re 100 per cent committed to dealing with it as this result shows.
“In the last six months we’ve taken on more staff, which has enabled us to discover more concealments in premises which have even undermined buildings’ structures.
“Illegal cigarettes are a lot cheaper but ultimately people do not know what they’re buying and there are no warnings on packets.
“Generally, the shops selling these items draw in undesirable characters which raises concerns from local people due to more antisocial behaviour being seen.
“I’d like to thank members of the public for their tip-offs as it’s very much appreciated we do carry out spot checks on businesses but the public’s help is invaluable.
“We’re using all the tools we have available to us, alongside partners such as South Yorkshire Police, and closure orders will continue to happen.”
