Stephen Morgan MP has called on Portsmouth people to contribute their views to a new Government consultation on the severity of closure orders given to premises associated with serious nuisance, disorder or criminal behaviour.
This consultation follows the passing of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which has given the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Shabana Mahmood MP, new powers to amend the duration of closure orders in the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.
In response, the Government is seeking views on increasing:
- Maximum duration of closure orders issued under section 80 of the 2014 Act
- Maximum period for which a given closure order can be extended under section 82, and the maximum overall duration of such an extended order
Currently, premises that are provided with a closure order can be closed for up to three months initially, a period which can then be extended by the court for a further three months to a maximum of six months.
When implemented, these closure orders are able to protect victims and local communities from the harms that are caused by high street illegality through the prohibition access to and use of premises.
In Portsmouth, closure orders have previously been used to address rogue traders within the city, including barber shops being used as fronts for organised crime and tax evasion along with illicit vape shops selling unsafe products to young people.
As part of this consultation, Mr Morgan is calling on Portsmouth people to share their views on closure orders, in order to shape the future of enforcement against rogue traders within this city.
The Government’s consultation can be contributed to here.
Mr Morgan has remained committed to addressing illegality exploiting Portsmouth’s high streets, launching his “Stop Dodgy Shops” campaign earlier this year to build community support to crack down on rogue traders and protect the city’s high streets.
Other actions from Stephen include, but are not limited to, joining a live trading standards operation targeting illicit trade and supporting the announcement of a major Government crackdown. These can be read about in further detail here and here.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“This Government is giving Portsmouth people the chance to shape the future of our high streets by having their saying on enforcement through Labour’s ongoing consultation on closure orders.
“Dodgy shops have not only damaged the reputation of our shopping streets but also driven away families and shoppers. Portsmouth’s shopping areas should not be overrun by fake shops and for criminal activity and should instead be vibrant places for families and communities.
“I remain committed to protecting our city’s high streets and am calling on Portsmouth people to share their views with the Government to ensure that future action on this issue is informed by local voices.”
