Bolton MP says dirty money ‘biggest threat to high street’

Former financial crime investigator turned MP for Bolton West Phil Brickell says that crimes like these could also pose threats to attempts to regenerate the town.

Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate this week Mr Brickell thanked Cllr John McHugh, of Westhoughton South, for is work talking anti-social behaviour in the town.

Mr Brickell said: “John has worked extensively with me and with Greater Manchester police, and many of his efforts are not publicly commended but they should be.

“Our town centres are the hearts of our communities, which is why I welcome the Government’s new Pride in Place funding for Bolton West.

Bolton West MP Phil Brickell was speaking at a Westminster Hall debate (Image: Office of Phil Brickell MP)

“But regeneration, whether in Bolton or Blackrod, Horwich or Westhoughton, will only succeed if we resolutely confront one of the biggest threats to our town centres, high street economic crime.

“In towns across this country, cash-intensive businesses are being used to launder criminal money, evade tax and undercut legitimate traders.

“These acts are not victimless. They are predatory. They enable organised crime and drug dealing, drain the public finances, and drive honest businesses out.”

Mr Brickell has long raised concerns about financial crime, having spoken to The Bolton News back in January 2025 that he believes “dark money” is blighting both politics and the high street.

Back in September last year, Mr Brickell told the House of Commons that there had been an “explosion” of cash intensive businesses laundering dirty money on high streets in recent years.

The following month, police officers working with Operation Machinize visited several shops around Bolton to investigate suspected money laundering.

In November, Mr Brickell proposed creating an Economic Crime Fighting Fund to try and tackle offences like these.

This week he has now said the government’s attempts to make the streets safer must include tackling economic crime.

Mr Brickell said: “If there is one thing I know after tackling bribery and corruption for more than a decade, it is that if we want safer streets, we must follow the money.

“It is not just an issue of putting more police officers on the streets.

“Having met officers from Greater Manchester police’s economic crime unit, it is clear to me that any lasting efforts to address and increase safety in our towns must also rely on provision for specialist financial investigators within the police, to go after the same criminal actors who feed off our high streets, carrying out their business in plain sight.”

Mr Brickell said he welcomed the government establishing a high street criminality task force but said more needs to be done.

He said this could include linking regeneration funding to enforcement and bringing in tougher licencing regimes with better data sharing between different agencies.

In response, policing and crime minister Sarah Jones MP said many other MPs had raised similar concerns and she agreed that more action was needed.

She said: “Many Members talked about the increase in the number of vape shops or other shops that we know are actually laundering money.

“I know the police are dealing with that, I have been on a raid with them to tackle it, but my honourable friend is right that more needs to be done.”