Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for Thanet council to revoke the closure of The Bong Shop in Margate.
This week Bong Shop owner Thule Letts arrived home from holiday to find Thanet council had placed a closure notice on her shop for alleged antisocial behaviour and drug dealing.
The Bong Shop (and Joke Shop) has been running since the 1960s first at Arlington Arcade with Thule’s mum at the helm and then in the High Street since around 2011 following closure of the arcade site.
Thule says she had no warning of the closure and then had to attend a court hearing in Margate on October 29.
She said the action appears to have come on the heels of a visit from Kent Police, Kent Trading Standards and Thanet council in September where they took away some products.
She added: “They say they want to shut my shop for three months. They said drug dealing and repackaging weed but did not show me any evidence.”
The closure has caused a backlash in the community with many taking to social media to brand the decision as ‘disgusting’ and ‘bang out of order.’
A petition has now been started by Margate/East Kent People which has attracted almost 400 signatures in 24 hours.
The petition says: “The sudden closure of the beloved Margate Bong Shop seems completely unreasonable. This place isn’t just a shop; it is a cornerstone of our community where art, culture, and dialogue flourished. The decision to shut it down has left a void that can’t be easily filled, not just for me but for many who cherished its presence in Margate.
“Margate Bong Shop was unique in its environment, offering a haven for creative expression through events, workshops, and a myriad of activities that brought people together. Many local artists and artisans showcased their work here, making it more than just a shop—it was a vibrant community hub that promoted local entrepreneurship, supported small businesses, and fostered a strong sense of community spirit.
“Closing the shop disrupts not only the local economy , but also the sense of belonging and connection among residents. According to studies, community-centric businesses significantly contribute to local economies and improve communal bonds. By allowing the Margate Bong Shop to remain closed, we risk losing much more than just a retail space.
“This decision needs to be reversed, and with sufficient community support, we can show the decision-makers the importance of this establishment. I urge the local council and other involved parties to reconsider the impact of this closure. Let’s work together to ensure that places like Margate Bong Shop continue to thrive and contribute positively to our society.”
Thule says the allegations relate to CBD products that were taken from her shop but adds that these are 0.2% THC – the compound in cannabis that causes a “high”- and so she says they are legal products.
A Freedom of Information response made by the Met Police says CBD is legal if it contains less than 1mg of THC, THCV and CBN in the final preparation. It adds that 0.2% is not a classification of a legal product but a guideline relating to which hemp varieties can be used by licensed commercial growers.
The Thanet council closure notice cites ‘nuisance’ and ‘disorder’ and prohibits entry to anyone unless they live in or own the premises.
It outlines the closure order being sought would be for three months.
The case is due to return to Magistrates Court on November 6.
A statement from Thanet council says: “Thanet District Council enforced a 24-hour closure notice on the Bong Shop, 9 High Street, Margate on Tuesday 28 October 2025.
“The hearing, originally scheduled for Wednesday 29 October 2025, has been adjourned and will now take place at Medway Magistrates Court on Thursday 6 November 2025. The shop will remain closed until then.
“We are unable to comment further.”
This isn’t a shop I use, but I know plenty of people who do. It’s one of the few remaining business from the “old” (pre-Turner) Margate, before so-called “art” became the answer to everything. And, no-one’s been arrested or charged with anything! Keep sharing and signing, folks!
It will only be missed for a few weeks, so keep it closed
Why don’t you like it? Genuinely curious.
Do you like empty shops & ‘pop up art hubs’ in Thanet? It is harder to find open ones in the last 10-15 years of various regimes greed & general incompetence.
Usual scenario of TDC Cabinet Members going MIA on the fallout from this. All very keen to self promote in other areas where they think they’re doing something well but when the proverbial hits the fan they hide under the table.
I prefer Old Spice. In fact I splashed some on this morning.
Like the Spectator & Socialist Worker-wrapped in brown bags you mean?
Starmer & his Tory cronies spent years conducting their own McCarthyist witch hunt to purge Labour of any socialism-other than being stuck with the 12 or so who keep getting suspended for voting not to kill the elderly, disabled & poor.
Of course this dictator attitude then filters down all the way to the bottom at councils like TDC, where now it is going after council block tenants with threats & more orders being used incorrectly for that very purpose, as we saw with the public ones they had to back down on.
Also now going after a trader who has been trading & paying rent etc with decades with no issues. Sadly for councils they have to abide by laws & actually produce evidence-which it appears they have little to none of.
If they did find an issue via testing products, wouldn’t it rather than putting her out of business & having yet another empty shop to add to the vast collection, be sensible to sit down with her & work out a solution & come in to do regular checks & buys etc? Waiting until she is on holiday, slapping a notice on her window & hauling her before a local beak is not really up to much is it?
When TDC and the police went around other premises and removed goods but they weren\’t closed a bit unfair.
What an appalling way to treat a long-established and much respected trader. Like every other resident, I could point out half a dozen places where AS behaviour takes place. The Bong Shop isn’t one of them.
Meanwhile “Turkish /Albanian barbers” …..
It’s already there (“Find the Bong Shop petition here”, in very large blue lettering).
If the owner has done anything wrong and committed a crime, arrest them, there should be evidence to prove this. if not leave them alone and do not risk bankrupting the business. I have only just read about this situation, but I would counter claim in the court’s against TDC and police if evidence does not exist.
I’m not sure how anyone is able to verify the claims regarding nuisance and disruptive behaviour but I found this website which gives an overview of crime statistics(albeit two-three months behind) which is interesting.
https://www.ukcrimecheck.com/
Happy reading!
The normal procedure would be to film it, in the old days it was plain clothes officers with cameras clicking away. Nowadays of course all they need is their phone to film it. The other thing would be actual arrests at that location, logs of the public phoning in issue there & how many of their move people on orders have been issued there.
We should find out more in the next week when it is in court-but if they don’t have this evidence then the anti-social stuff doesn’t stick & if there are products over the limit then surely the best approach is to work with the rent paying, decades long inhabitant to rectify it, so people aren’t put out of work & TDC don’t end up with another empty shop & no rent/business taxes coming in. Unless of course they either just really enjoy closed shops in Thanet, or want it empty for another purpose.
Let it close … CLOSE!
This is bong out of order!!