A NEWPORT shop selling legal highs has been shut down by police because of 'noise nuisance, intimidation and anti-social behaviour'.

The Chill Headshop in Commercial Street was served a notice yesterday that the store should stop trading immediately until a magistrates court hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Gwent Police say they will apply for to keep the business closed for up to three months.

Inspector Mark Pope explained police believe that the order "would help end the anti-social behaviour which has been associated with Chill’s selling of legal highs".

“Local shop keepers and workers are suffering from noise nuisance, intimidation and anti-social behaviour associated with the premises and its visitors throughout and day and evening and this is having a detrimental effect on their lives and businesses.

“Officers and Community Support Officers have spent a lot of their time policing the problems caused by legal high abuse and have worked hard to compile the evidence needed to justify this closure order.”

The notice and order are powers contained in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and this is the first time it has been used in the Gwent Police area.