We’ve all seen the dodgy shops that spring up – the garish fluorescent lighting, the thinly-stocked shelves, the often-exploited staff behind the counter.

Difficult to prove but deeply damaging to the profile of the streets where they take up residence, and to the community more widely.

Taunton and Wellington are both succeeding in bucking the trend of town centres.

It’s our strong sense of community, the ingenuity and hard work of independent traders and councillors with nous, who put street marshals on the beat and are bringing more and more events to the centre of town, which have no doubt contributed to this success.

Wellington Independent Market, which returns this weekend, and Taunton Together on Saturday, September 26th, are both events not to be missed. But we are not immune from the scourge of criminals who too often lie behind fake shops.

Stamping it out wherever possible is a priority I took up when I was elected. Local police – working with Somerset Council Trading Standards – have listened. Four shops have now been closed down and court orders served on the operators.

Dangerous counterfeit cigarettes, under-age sales of alcohol and money laundering are all being revealed.

But we need more action, and police officers face too much paperwork when they see illegal trading taking place.

The position today is that police can’t serve a Closure Notice (which only lasts up to 48 hours), unless they then go back to the station and prepare a case for court taking them off the beat for hours if not days.

I would not blame any officer for deciding to stick with the day job rather that undertake the paper trail needed for action of this kind.

My Illegal Trading Bill, which I have just presented to Parliament, would change all that. Where there is clear evidence of illegal trading it would empower any police officer, authorised by a Superintendent, to serve an immediate Closure Notice – and close a shop for 14 days. No additional paperwork, no applying to the courts to make it valid. Swift and firm action against these criminals of the kind our hard-working small traders need to see.

Landlords who repeatedly let out their premises to be used by illegal traders would also face penalties – up to and including losing their premises through temporary occupation of their shop by the council for two years – to enable genuine local traders to operate on our High Streets.

Our town centres matter – they are the beating hearts of Taunton and of Wellington, and our small businesses collectively make up the biggest sector of the UK economy.

We need to support them to drive growth, bring people to town and provide jobs.

The time for action on illegal trading is now – the government’s proposals simply don’t go far enough.

My Bill would put the illegal traders out of business from day one and I’ll be pushing the Government to support it.