A MYSTERY surrounding the re-opening and closing on Saturday (August 22) of a Wellington shop accused of selling vapes to children and where illegal tobacco products were found, has been resolved.

The Danya Store, in High Street, was shut following a raid on June 9 by police, trading standards, and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs officers.

A magistrates court order was then made on June 11 ordering its closure for three months under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

But, it was open for the first time since then on Saturday, 19 days before the expiration of the closure order, only to close again a short time later.

Now, Avon and Somerset Constabulary has confirmed the premises were briefly unlocked for an officer to allow a prospective new tenant to look around the building.

While it was open on Saturday, new shop frontage signage could be seen, including an image which could be interpreted as mocking the authorities, declaring the premises to be a ‘Vape King’.

Danya Store, in Wellington High Street, which was closed by a court order in June for selling vapes to children and illegal tobacco products, was open again on Saturday.
Danya Store, in Wellington High Street, which was closed by a court order in June for allegedly selling vapes to children and illegal tobacco products. (Tindle News)

Nobody could be seen inside the Danya premises, but a sign on its front door read: “We will be back in five minutes.”

The court’s closure order expires at 11.59 pm on Thursday, September 10, and made it an offence to enter the premises before that time, with the penalty on conviction being a fine and/or up to 51 weeks in prison.