‘Counterfeit clothing shop’ in Strangeways with ‘no Covid basic safety measures’ shut down following raid

A Strangeways store council bosses say flogs ‘counterfeit clothes’ has been shutdown.

City hall chiefs say it was ‘found investing illegally in a premises that lacked any Covid-19 basic safety measures’.

Law enforcement, investing standards and House Business officers raided the Bury New Street shop on December 3, Manchester council mentioned in a statement.

After cutting open up security shutters, within, officials located two employees and six customers.

None of whom had been donning masks, the council explained.

There was no hand sanitiser and the store was explained to be cramped with inadequate ventilation. 

Two workers associates have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

A Manchester council spokesperson reported the chance of Covid transmission inside of the store was ‘extremely high’.

“Supplied the greater price of infections in northern wards of Manchester, it was crucial that this operation was shut down,” they included.

© Manchester council
Officers slice open the stability shutters for the duration of the raid

Yesterday (Wednesday) Manchester council issued an buy to shut the shop below the Well being Safety Act. 

A review will be held each seven days until eventually the council is happy that the company can trade safely and securely.

The spokesperson extra: “Provided unlawful exercise was using area the premises is possible to be shut for some time.” 

Coun Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for neighbourhoods for Manchester council, said: “This closure is an case in point of just what we are battling versus when we discuss about the counterfeit items marketplace.

“The criminals who perpetuate this trade do not treatment about just about anything other than the base line.

“If that signifies putting the community at risk and letting them to shop in cramped premises in the midst of a pandemic then make no oversight, that is what they will do.  

“We are conscious of other sites like this working in the region and as a council we will proceed to get intelligence on felony activity, and in the end use all of the powers at our disposal to close them down. 

“These retailers are unlawful, they set dollars into the pockets of criminals and now much more than at any time are a obvious danger to the basic safety and wellbeing of our communities.”

Previously currently, a Manchester Evening Information investigation discovered how stores on Bury New Street ongoing to trade throughout the 2nd lockdown.