21 August 2026
We’ve all seen them. Shops where the lights are on, but nobody seems to be inside. They open late, close early, change hands often, and never seem to have any customers.
They’re a world away from the many brilliant local businesses we have across Barnsley, run by decent folk who work hard and play by the rules – and those running these dodgy shops certainly aren’t playing by the rules.
Behind some seemingly ordinary shop fronts, organised crime gangs are hiding in plain sight. They’re using businesses to launder the proceeds of drugs and trafficking, evade tax, exploit workers, and fund wider organised crime.
They’re undercutting honest businesses, depriving our public services of money, and making our communities less safe.
We saw enforcement action here in Barnsley just last week, when Immigration Enforcement officers visited a takeaway in the borough. Cases like this show why agencies need the powers and resources to investigate businesses where something isn’t right.
This kind of action is exactly what we need to see more of.
That’s why, as Security Minister, I’m leading work across Government to target the criminal gangs operating on our high streets. Backed by £30 million over the next three years, we’re bringing together the National Crime Agency, police, Trading Standards, HMRC, and Immigration Enforcement to target the networks behind these businesses.
That means more raids, more cash seizures, and tougher action against those responsible.
We’re also changing the law so that when criminal businesses are closed, they can be kept closed for longer. The maximum length of Closure Orders will double from six months to a year, giving the authorities more time to investigate and stopping rogue businesses from simply reopening while that work continues.
Taking back our high streets is about more than tackling organised crime, though.
The Government is also giving communities more control over the businesses opening on their doorstep.
New vape shops and adult gaming centres will require planning permission, giving councils more power over where they open, including near schools. We also intend to scrap outdated gambling rules which make it harder for councils to refuse new betting shops even where there are strong local concerns.
That will give Barnsley Council greater powers and give people across our borough more of a say over what happens on their high streets.
This comes down to something pretty simple: fairness. Honest businesses should not be undercut by criminals, and people in Barnsley should have more of a say over what opens in their communities.
Our message to the criminals using our high streets to make and launder dirty money is equally simple: we’re coming after you.
We’re backing honest businesses, giving local communities a stronger voice, and taking our high streets back.