Closure order granted on Hartlepool Shop as Crackdown Continues..

Teesside Magistrates Court approves yet another closure order on a shop trading at 15 Murray Street as the closure order crackdown continues...

17th December 2024

Hartlepool Borough Councils reportedly been granted yet another closure order on a business said to be involved in illegal activity, marking the number of shops closed down within walking distance of each other to four......

The closure of 15 Murray Street follows the closure order of another premises granted a short while ago

Teesside Magistrates’ Court is said to have granted the closure order on the premises at 15 Murray Street, just a day after its claimed a similar notice was served to the owners of The Slemani Express Shop at 40 Murray Street. Both businesses were shut down under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, following claims they were reportedly being used as fronts for organised crime & other illegal activity..

Sources close to the council told Hartlepool Borough Council Exposed that council officials were literally 'dumbstruck', expressing sheer disbelief at the rapid re-emergence of similar businesses being set up just meters away from previously closed locations. One insider described the effort to secure closure orders as a “game of cat and mouse,” as council teams struggle to outmanoeuvre those behind these operations.

Despite prior successes, the illicit activity appears to persist, with new shops quickly taking the place of those being closed.

Slemani Express (40 Murray Street) was also slapped with the same closure order, its claimed the shop has already been emptied of its contents...

The closure of Slemani Express is believed to involve the same proprietors linked to the other recently closed shops in Murray Street, where its claimed just weeks ago, the court reportedly granted extensions on closure orders for two additional shops in the area following concerns that if the closure orders were revoked, the problem of those setting up shop in the same locations would again reoccur.. This pattern has brought the total number of forced closures to four within the last year alone, highlighting the scale of the problem.

Local taxpayers, however, are said to be bearing the financial burden. Legal costs associated with these actions are already expected to run into tens of thousands of pounds, further straining council resources., with many local residents questioning whether the current approach is sustainable or effective in addressing the deep rooted criminal activity that exists within the area. .

Murray St was the flashpoint for the August 2024 riots in Hartlepool & a location where its claimed police rarely frequent without being supported by other officers....

Murray Street itself has become a symbol of broader challenges facing Hartlepool. In August 2024, It was the epicentre of the summer 2024 riots, which caused significant damage and left local residents shaken. Claims that these shops were being used to funnel money into organised crime networks have only fuelled public concern. For many, the closure orders represent necessary action, but they also underscore the need for a more strategic, long-term solutions to tackle the issue at its core.

While Hartlepool Borough Council’s efforts to crack down on illicit activity are commendable, its claimed the repeated emergence of such businesses calls for a critical reassessment of enforcement measures. How long can this cycle of closures and re-openings continue before more robust and permanent solutions are implemented?

And at what cost to the taxpayers of Hartlepool?

As residents grow increasingly weary of footing the bill for what seems to be a never-ending struggle against organised crime in their community some claim its time for a more heavier handed approach by the police to tackle the issue, rather than boarding the legal 'merry go round' which currently is costing locals a sizeable sum in legal costs.