"We take breaches like this very seriously" - Councillor speaks out after Walsall shop fined after illegal kiwi elf bar vape pod sold to 16 year-olds

DSL Loha Ltd, trading as The Plug in Park Street, Walsall town centre sold a strawberry kiwi Elf Bar vape pod to two 16-year-old volunteers on March 12 this year.

The seller, Mr Pamkag Mehta aged 24, from Smethwick, completed the £3 sale without asking for identification or attempting to verify their age.  

Trading standards had provided the business with comprehensive advice on two occasions prior to the test purchase, including written guidance, Challenge 25 posters, and a refusals register. 

When officers returned immediately after the sale, the register was not present. The business owner, Mr Dharmendra Singh, initially claimed he had never received one. 

Mr Singh claimed  Mr Mehta had worked at the premises for only ten days and a few times a week, yet officers had regularly seen him working there.  

No staff training records were available, and the business could not demonstrate that adequate training on age-restricted sales had been provided. 

Mr Singh was also unable to explain the principles of the Challenge 25 scheme, despite acknowledging that he had received advice on it. 

Councillor Adam Hicken, portfolio holder for Enforcement and Safe Communities at Walsall Council said, “We take breaches like this very seriously, and this case highlights the consequences for businesses that fail to follow the rules. 

“A £3 sale has now cost those involved thousands of pounds, but with the law being so simple, I have no sympathy.  

 “We provided the store owner guidance and offered help multiple times, but this was ignored. 

“We will continue to work with l retailers in the borough to ensure they understand their responsibilities to keep our community safe and take firm action against retailers who fail to comply with age-restricted sales laws. We will pursue legal action where necessary to protect young people. 

DSL Loha Ltd pleaded guilty to the offence at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on December 3, 2025, and was ordered to pay a fine of £440, costs of £1,828.44 and a victim surcharge of £176 -  a total cost of £2,428.44.  

Mehta, the physical seller, would not engage with trading standards, failed to attend interviews on two occasions and did not attend court.   

He was ordered to pay a fine of £660 himself, costs of £1,812.43 and a victim surcharge of £264. This resulted in a total cost of £2,736.43.