£2k court bill for Walsall shop prosecuted for underage vape sale
A Walsall shop owner has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 after selling a vape containing nicotine to an underage customer.
Acting on a tip-off Walsall Council’s Trading Standards officers visited at the store Vape and Beyond in Digbeth near the market stalls to warn about the sale of vapes and to provide guidance on age verification.
During these visits the proprietor was advised to train staff at the store regarding selling age-restricted goods.
Despite the warnings on February 8 a 16-year-old trading standards volunteer was sold a vape containing nicotine. No ID check was carried out by the shop staff prior to the transaction being made.
As a result enforcement action was taken against Gurmeet Singh Kapour, director of Mahir Trading Ltd, trading as Vape and Beyond in the town centre, who entered a guilty plea on the company’s behalf at Dudley Magistrates Court on September 24.
Walsall's enforcement and safe communities boss Councillor Adam Hicken said: “I have no sympathy for anyone involved in selling products with tobacco to children.
“The rules are very simple around ID checks. We engaged with the store owner multiple times with guidance, but this was ignored.
"We will continue to take enforcement action against those who fail to comply with the law.”
In court Mahir Trading Ltd trading as Vape and Beyond was ordered to pay a fine of £800, costs £1,000 and victims' surcharge £320.
Under the Nicotine Inhaling Products Regulations 2015 and the Children and Families Act 2014 it is an offence to sell nicotine inhaling products to anyone under the age of 18.
