A second vape shop in Newcastle-under-Lyme has been ordered to close for the next three months.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that Cobra Vape Shop on High Street was likely to sell illegal vapes and tobacco.

This follows intelligence gathered by trading standards, which obtained a warrant to search the premises. On 16 July, officers forced entry after attending the shop and finding it closed.

Earlier this month, nearby vape shop Simba's was issued with a closure order, effectively closing down the shop for three months after illegal tobacco and vapes were found on the premises, while staff had also sold tobacco to test purchasers who were too young to legally buy it. The court also heard allegations of a connection between the two shops.

Jamie Porter, representing Newcastle Borough Council, told the court that when trading standards officers entered Cobra they discovered 71 illegal vapes, a notebook with the logo for Simba's on it, and the same bags of perishable goods that were removed from Simba's when the closure order was granted.

He also read a statement from a trading standards officer to the court.

The statement, which formed part of the intelligence gathered about Cobra Vape Shop, said that a nearby café owner had seen staff visiting Simba's to obtain illegal cigarettes and had also seen staff, on occasion, visit Cobra and return with illegal goods.

He added: "It appears to the applicants that this premises has previously been used as a depot of sorts for the storage of illicit cigarettes for the retail distribution of in Simba's.

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"Furthermore, it would appear given the article relating to Simba's to the applicant council that there is a real risk of Cobra opening up and continuing trading in the illicit cigarettes and tobacco materials that were previously being distributed from Simba's."

Borhun Abdullah, who owns Cobra, told the court that he had nothing to do with Simba's. He did confirm that he had spent £500 on stock from the owner of Simba's which he said explained how the bag of perishable goods came to be in his shop.

Magistrates at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre granted the three month closure order.

They said: "The shop is likely to engage in the continued sale of illicit vapes and tobacco. It is inconceivable that somebody would pay £500 for unknown goods."