Action planned to disrupt barbershops and takeaways in Peterborough being used as 'fronts for crime'

The pledge of joint action by the council and police comes after concerns were raised by Councillor Steve Allen (Conservative) at a full council meeting in June around the number of barbershops and vape shops in the city, which he said “beggars belief”.

“I just don’t see where the business comes from,” he said.

Councillor Polly Geraghty (Liberal Democrat) brought up the issue at an economy, inclusive growth and environment scrutiny committee meeting on July 10

She said: "I was wondering if you could shed some light around barbershops and the fronts that they have.

"There seems to be a massive increase in the number of those and they're often used as a front for unpleasantries."

Jacqui Harvey, head of environmental health, licensing and trading standards at the council, said: "[Barbershops] do have a very poor reputation nationally post the Covid pandemic.

"During the pandemic there was a lot of organised crime running though those sites and the amount of barbershops selling food at midnight was quite interesting.

"There's lots of establishments across the UK, and Peterborough is no different to many city centres where there is essentially a front.

"Sometimes that can be a takeaway or it can be a corner shop that is very sparsely filled but things are going on behind, like illicit tobacco and vapes."

Ms Harvey said the council and the police would be using their joint powers to do "lots of disruption work" to tackle this type of crime in Peterborough across the next 12 months.

This work is being done as part of the Alliance project.

The project is led by Cambridgeshire Constabulary in partnership with Peterborough City Council and was formed in 2023, aiming to tackle serious organised crime through the Home Office’s Clear, Hold and Build strategy.

It focuses on disrupting criminal groups, maintaining safe spaces and building resilient communities, with a particular focus on the Lincoln Road/Millfield area.

Joint enforcement between the police and council has seen a number of successes so far, including 700,000 cigarettes seized at a value of £200,000 and 20,000 vapes seized at a value of between £20,000 and £40,000.

Councillor Alison Jones, cabinet member for housing and communities, previously said: “We have increased our inspections of business premises to ensure they are operating in accordance with the legislative changes.

“These teams are adequately staffed to carry out these functions.

"We are working in partnership with Public Health, police, HMRC and DWP to target premises that intelligence suggests are selling vapes, illicit tobacco and contaminated alcohol.

“And to address trading without the relevant licences or permits.

"This includes a focus on barbershops to ensure they are acting in accordance with business regulations.”