Stuart Anderson MP is backing local action to crackdown on organised crime and illegal trading on South Shropshire's high streets to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for local business.
Stuart has said that the government will do everything it can to support enforcement action in rural areas, as an estimated £1 billion per year is being laundered through "pop-up shops" including vape stores, barbers, mini-marts, and sweet shops in local communities.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Our high streets and town centres are the heart of rural communities like South Shropshire. Our five thousand local businesses work incredibly hard to provide high quality products and services. They rightly deserve a level playing field. So, we must clamp down on illegal practices that undermine consumer confidence and puts honest traders at a disadvantage. We must not have anyone undercutting local businesses through illegal practices. I am working with West Mercia Police, Bridgnorth Safer Neighbourhood Team, and Shropshire Chamber of Commerce to take these issues - including the pop-up shops that are often closed for many months on end, do not fit the character of the local area, and in many cases, are suspected fronts for organised crime. We need to do everything we can to ensure genuine businesses can thrive and remove those that blight our high streets."
The issue was raised at a local businesses roundtable event that Stuart chaired in June with Shropshire Chamber of Commerce and local employers. The event focused on the human and economic cost of business crime. The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that at least £12 billion of criminal cash is generated in the UK each year, with £1 billion being laundered through pop-up shops on the high streets. Some businesses are also connected to the sale of fake goods, tax evasion, illegal working, and illegal drug supply.
To tackle these issues, the government has launched a High Street Organised Crime Unit to work together with Police Forces and Trading Standards in ‘hotspot’ areas like Great Manchester, the West Midlands, Kent, and Essex. The aim is to bring together government departments, policing partners, and trading standards as part of a wider intervention worth £30 million over three years.
However, Stuart has warned that resources are also required to support local enforcement action in rural areas like South Shropshire, where he has been working with West Mercia Police, Bridgnorth Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), and Shropshire Chamber of Commerce on resident concerns about the number of "pop-up" shops that are often closed for months on end, do not fit the character of the local area, and are suspected of being fronts for illegal activity.
In Parliament, Stuart intervened in a debate on high street regeneration. He told MPs he is working with a dedicated Bridgnorth Police Officer and Rural Crime Officer on the issue, who has said his priority will be to monitor the number of pop-up shops and identify criminal behaviour to ensure better regulation and enforcement.
Stuart has consistently championed the needs of South Shropshire's five thousand small businesses. The results of his Shop Local Survey highlight the importance of maintaining vibrant town centres where businesses can prosper and residents feel safe and confident when shopping locally. The survey received 4,500 responses from residents and business owners across South Shropshire. Business said taxes were too high and it was hard to make a profit, while residents raised issues about parking, accessibility, cleanliness, and the impact of pop-up shops on town and village centres.
