Walsall Shop Owner Hit with £2,000 Court Bill for Underage Vape Sale
A shop owner in the Black Country has been handed a substantial court bill totalling almost £2,000 after a vape was sold to two customers who were under the legal age of 18. The incident occurred at Euro Shop, located at 89 Stafford Street in Walsall, where a SKE Cherry Ice flavoured vape was purchased by underage volunteers without any identification checks being performed.
Trading Standards Investigation Uncovers Sale to Minors
The sale took place on July 9 last year during a test purchasing exercise conducted by Walsall Council's trading standards department. The volunteers, who were under 18, successfully bought the £4 vape from Miss Rehana Azmi, an employee at the shop. This happened despite the business having received written guidance, Challenge 25 posters, and a refusals register just one month earlier to help prevent underage sales.
When interviewed, Miss Azmi admitted she had not been paying full attention and mistakenly believed the volunteers were approximately 20 years old. She was unable to explain the Challenge 25 policy and confirmed that there were no established procedures in place within the shop to stop underage sales from occurring.
Legal Consequences and Court Proceedings
The shop owner, Mr Aryan Kadiri, did not participate in the trading standards investigation and failed to attend the subsequent court proceedings. Under the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015 and the Children and Families Act 2014, it is a criminal offence to sell nicotine inhaling products to anyone under the age of 18.
After court hearings, Mr Kadiri was issued a £660 fine, a £264 victim surcharge, and £1,000 in costs, bringing his total court bill to £1,924. Meanwhile, Miss Azmi received an £80 fine, a £32 victim surcharge, and £500 in costs, resulting in a total of £612.
Council Warns Businesses on Legal Responsibilities
A spokesperson for Walsall Council emphasised the importance of compliance, stating: "Businesses have a clear legal responsibility to prevent the sale of age-restricted products to children. This case demonstrates the type of action that can follow when advice is ignored and the law is broken."
The council's trading standards department continues to monitor and enforce regulations to protect young people from accessing harmful products. This case serves as a stark reminder to all retailers about the severe financial penalties and legal repercussions that can arise from failing to verify the age of customers purchasing restricted items.
