Following my work on tackling illicit and illegal trading in Jarrow and Gateshead East and across the UK, I welcome the Government setting out a new unit to crack down on dodgy high street shops.

I've held roundtables in my constituency, speaking directly to shop owners, council leaders, trading standards and the police, and alongside many MPs have had numerous meetings with Ministers so I'm pleased that our Government has listened to us and is backing police and trading standards to shut down these dodgy shops on our high streets and putting cash they seize back into our communities.

The horror stories of organised crime linked to illicit trade and the impact on high streets has gone on for too long, we need the Local Authorities to use the new powers we have given them to urgently close these dodgy shops.

The cost to our local communities is stark, Gateshead Council pointed out the illegal tobacco and vape trade costs the local community an estimated £76 per resident per year in Gateshead and that's not to mention the wider impact costs to families, the NHS and impact on other services.

This investment is a good start but we can't underestimate the scale of the problem, it will take a lot more investment in police and Trading standards and also tackling the ease of which and the reasons why the illicit trade is able to flourish.