Haul of counterfeit tobacco and cash seized in shop raids
£4,000 RECOVERED FROM SEVERAL PROPERTIES
A LARGE amount of counterfeit tobacco has been discovered during shop raids on Freeman Street. Around £4,000 in cash was also recovered from several properties by police officers and Trading Standards officers from North East Lincolnshire Council.
Police visited several premises on the Grimsby street at the weekend in a bid to root out illegal tobacco, often in the form of fake cigarettes or rolling tobacco.
It isn’t known exactly how many were found, but similar investigations have recovered thousands of cigarettes with a street value of nearly £3,000. They have warned that the fake substance is often dangerous, and is used to finance organised crime.
A statement from Humberside Police said: “Following an intensive two days of action at the weekend, a large sum of illicit tobacco and approximately £4,000 cash was recovered on Freeman Street, Grimsby.
“Officers from our Grimsby Neighbourhood patrol joined Trading Standards officers in visiting a number of properties in the area.
“Upon searching the properties a large amount of illicit tobacco was recovered. The investigation is now being led by Trading Standards.” PS Claire Jacobs said: “These are not victimless crimes and agencies will continue to support one another - acting on information and intelligence that the public provide.
“This offending is used to fund organised crime gangs and has been linked to modern day slavery and human trafficking operations. “When you buy these products, you could also be putting your own health at risk. Not only has no duty been paid on them but they’ve not been tested to ensure they’re safe. “Counterfeit tobacco products often contain all kinds of harmful substances. “We hope that this latest action will send a stark warning to anyone involved in this type of crime, that we will seek every avenue to disrupt them. “If you have information about counterfeit goods in your area call us on our non-emergency number 101 and let us help make our communities safer for everyone.”
INSPECTIONS for food hygiene have resumed after a hiatus over lockdown.
Restaurants, cafes, takeaways and other venues around North East Lincolnshire have started to receive ratings ahead of restrictions being relaxed.
The first batch of ratings includes several one and two star ratings, which indicate either “major improvement necessary” or “improvement necessary”. A manager at Pizza Uno said another inspection had been booked for next week and they expected the new rating to be much higher.
Mr Chips, on Sutcliffe Avenue in Grimsby, has since closed down, according to its website.
Petra Pizzeria couldn’t be reached for comment.
Venues have been able to provide delivery and takeaway service through lockdown, and it’s expected that hospitality venues can fully reopen around May.
The food hygiene ratings are conducted by North East Lincolnshire Council, and are hosted by the Food Standards Agency.
One star - Major improvement
necessary
■Pizza Uno, Pelham Road, Immingham
■Mr Chips, Sutcliffe Avenue, Grimsby
■Petra Pizzeria, Humberston
Two stars - Improvement
necessary
■China House, Grimsby ■Atlantis Fish and Chips, Immingham ■Fruktolinka, Yarborough Road, Grimsby
Three star stars - G Generally
satisfactory
■Pizza Planet, Brighowgate, Grimsby ■Mughul Food, Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes
■Valentino Ltd, Cleethorpes ■Hayley’s Kitchen, Grimsby ■New Waltham Tandoori
■Dial A Pizza Ltd, Wingate Parade, Grimsby
■Haley’s Pizza, Grimsby
Four stars - Good
ll
■Golden Bridge, Humberston ■Kebab Delights, Grimsby ■The Wheatsheaf, Grimsby ■Victoria Kebab House, Grimsby ■Pizza Capri, Grimsby
■AFC Express, Grimsby ■Pizza Plaza, Cleethorpes ■Kerbarbe Q, Cleethorpes ■Margheritas, Grimsby
Five stars - Very good
■The Chicken House, Cleethorpes ■Swales Butchers, Grimsby ■John Whitgift Academy, Grimsby ■Barbossa, Grimsby
■The Enchanted Bakery ■Temptations Kitchen The Dolphin, Cleethorpes
■Infuso British Legion
■Blue Ocean, Grimsby
■Just Roasts, Cleethorpes ■Beast Burger, Grimsby
■ Havana Cabana, Cleethorpes ■Marco Polo, Cleethorpes
■Taco Taco Havana Cabana, Cleethorpes
■Vegas Grill, Cleethorpes ■Piccolo Pizzeria, Grimsby ■Pelham Hotel, Immingham ■Freds Fisheries ■Graham’s Fresh Grimsby Fish Ltd ■Grimsby Fish Service
■Ian Sharp Fish Sales Waltham Windmill Golf Club ■Jade’s Ice Cream Parlour, Cleethorpes ■Bannatyne Health Club, Humberston
■Shanghai Express, Cleethorpes ■Springfield Lodge Day Nursery, Grimsby
■The Bobbin, Cleethorpes ■Double M Event Catering, Cleethorpes
■Tony’s Grimsby Fish Emporium ■Mellors Catering Service, Cleethorpes
■Jos Kitchen, Stallingborough ■Healing Convenience Store ■WM Morrison PLC staff cantina, Healing
■Healing Manor Hotel, Healing ■Farmfoods Freezer Centres, Grimsby
■Lids, Grimsby
■Greggs, Gilbey Road ■Iceland Freeman Street, Grimsby ■Alexandra News, Grimsby ■Carl’s Fresh Grimsby Fish ■Novartis, Grimsby
■The Bun Box
■Noel Mcrae Fish
■Ashlea Court Residential Care Home, Waltham
■Italian Express, Grimsby
■Wold Newton Village Hall, Wold Newton
■Aspens Services Ltd at Cleethorpes Academy, Cleethorpes ■For Under Fives Ltd, Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby ■Linkage College Weelsby Campus, Grimsby
■Chartwells at Queen Mary Avenue Infant and Junior School, Cleethorpes
■Great Coates Nursery School, Great Coates
■Golden City, Cleethorpes ■Church View Care Home, Great Coates
■Bradley House care Home, Bradley ■Belly Busters
■Eastern Delights, Cleethorpes ■The Chocolat Story
■Carl’s Meats, Freshney Place, Grimsby
■Chartwells at New Waltham Academy
■Wilkinsons, Grimsby ■Starbucks Coffee
■Tesco Extra, Market Street, Grimsby
■One Stop Food Shop, Grimsby ■Jade Garden Chinese Takeaway, Grimsby
■Cafe in the Park, Grimsby
■Riverhead Coffee, Grimsby ■Riverhead Coffee, Cleethorpes ■Darracottes, Cleethorpes ■Lakeside Ice Cream Coffee Parlour, Cleethorpes
■Wollaston Road Stores, Cleethorpes
■Little Stars Day Nursery, Grimsby ■Beijing House, Grimsby
■Lacy Cakes Creations
■RP Wardle Butchers, Humberston ■Royal Court Care Home, Cleethorpes
■Burger King, Grimsby
■KFC, Birchin Way, Grimsby ■Hunts Bakery, Freeman Street Market
■Prime Life Ltd, Grimsby ■Oceans Finest Ltd ■Thetallfishguy
■Grimsby Fresh Fish Ltd ■Candiland, Grimsby ■Humber St Bun Shop, Grimsby ■Jason Motors Grimsby Ltd
■St Hughs Hospital, Grimsby ■Shauns Fish
■C4 Celebrations
■Buzz Cafe, Grimsby
■Alan’s Fish
■Glyn Thomas House, Grimsby ■Greggs, Cleethorpes ■Mallow View Hotel, Cleethorpes ■Haven Methodist Luncheon Club, Grimsby
■Costa Coffee, Cleethorpes
FIVEWAYS roundabout at the Queen Mary Avenue and Wellington Street roundabout in Grimsby is not only a gateway to five different roads but also to three areas that are faring very differently in the coronavirus pandemic.
Over the past couple of weeks, Queen Mary Avenue alone has run from Sidney Park with fewer than three cases for two consecutive weeks, through Weelsby and Old Clee which had a high rolling infection rate over 200 cases per 100,000 people last week, to New Clee where rates have hovered just above suppressed status.
As North East Lincolnshire as a whole seems to be slipping backwards in its fight against the pandemic we went to visit an area on the edge of the best and worst progress being made in Grimsby. Pamela had just visited the shop at Fiveways and was heading home towards Wellington Street. She said: “I actually had Covid and had a really bad reaction to it so I ended up having to spend two days in hospital.
“That has made me really cautious when I go out now and I’m very careful about everything that I’m doing.
“I’ve got to say I think most people around my area do still follow the rules and are being careful so it doesn’t surprise me that we have low rates, I hope it stays that way.” Gary Johnson said he’s had a similar experience: “I’m up on Park Street, most people around there are still following what they’re told to do as far as I can see.
“I mean I only head out to go to the shops for myself or vulnerable family members still so most of the time I’m just staying at home like we’re told to do. “I think we’re all just trying to do our best aren’t we?” Queen Mary Avenue and Lestrange Street has been one of the most stark borders over recent weeks with Sidney Park on one side which has recorded suppressed status for two weeks in a row which is the lowest possible rating for Covid-19 infections.
On the other side of both roads,
Cleethorpes North has hovered just above the average infection rate for the UK for a number of weeks while Weelsby and Old Clee had an infection rate of 223.7 in the last round of data which was miles above the average.
The Weelsby and Old Clee infection rate has begun to drop this week to 153.8 cases per 100,000 people but on the other side of the junction the opposite has happened with New Clee reporting two weeks just above suppressed status before the latest data confirmed an infection rate of 131.9 just below the national average.
David was from the Old Clee end of the junction and said he wasn’t surprised to hear that there had been higher infections there in recent weeks. He said: “I think that people are getting a bit sick of it to be honest, it has been going on for a long time hasn’t it? “Something has to change soon or I think you’ll just have more and more people breaking the rules because they’ve just been going on too long.”
Another lady heading in that direction said: “I think most people are trying but when you go in some of the shops around here there are people without masks and there isn’t always distancing. “There seems to be a few people that don’t bother with the rules at all.”
Most people around there are still following what they’re told to do
as far as I can see.
Gary Johnson