ONE of Cornwall’s MPs has taken part in a parliamentary debate about “dodgy shops”, stating that the fronts for illegal activity are operating in Cornwall, with coastal towns like Falmouth just as much “hotspots” as major cities.

Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, took part in the High Street Shops: Illicit Activity debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday (June 17).

She told Alex Ballinger MP, who instigated the debate: “There are hotspot teams that are looking at this in certain areas. Would he agree that in rural and coastal areas like mine in Falmouth, this is also a problem?

“This is spreading across the country. Maybe those hotspot areas may need looking at and extending much wider.” Mr Ballinger agreed and said “hotspots” across the whole country needed to be investigated.

Later in the debate, Ms Kirkham added: “There is a situation where people who are trying to report are too scared. There needs to be some sort of process where people can report without fear of retribution.”

She later took to social media to explain further: “This morning I spoke in a debate about some of the shops that are blighting our high streets with illegal activity.

“Even in Cornwall we have them – kebab shops, barbers, vape shops that appear and are a front for illegal activity.

“I raised the fact that the police need support dealing with this even in coastal places like Falmouth. We can be ‘hotspot’ regions too. I also raised the fact that it’s hard to collect evidence against them due to fear of intimidation.

“Local councils could have more power over planning what goes on our high streets and landlords could take more responsibility for who they rent to.”

Ms Kirkham added: “The Government has announced a £30 million nationwide crackdown targeting dodgy barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops involved in money laundering.

“These shops will face raids, closure orders and cash seizures as part of a new drive to clean up Britain’s high streets.”

She said the measures include the creation of a new High Street Organised Crime Unit to coordinate action between the National Crime Agency, police forces, Trading Standards, HMRC and Immigration Enforcement.

The Government will also recruit additional officers to strengthen enforcement activity in hotspot regions, while Trading Standards will receive a cash boost to increase raids, inspections and enforcement action.

The crackdown builds on Operation Machinize, which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests, thousands of premises visited and millions of pounds in criminal assets seized.

During the debate, Ms Kirkham also raised the scourge of shoplifting on our high streets.

She said: “I’m here from Falmouth and Truro because we have an awful lot of abuse of shopworkers in connection with shoplifting and there is the issue that people think they are immune if they shoplift something that is worth less than £200.

“That is changing and the police will be arresting those people.”