A Shrewsbury shop, and its owner/director, have been ordered to pay more than £30,000 for the illegal sale of disposable vapes, and for selling a vape to a person under 18.
In Telford Magistrates Court on Monday 11 November 2024, Sweet Vapez Ltd – trading as Castle Hill – of Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, and company director Mr Nazar Haytham Ali each pleaded guilty to six offences relating to the sale of disposable vapes containing fruit flavoured liquid with excess levels of nicotine.
Sweet Vapez Ltd also pleaded guilty to selling a disposable vape to a 14-year-old.
Each defendant was ordered to pay £15,214 in fines, costs and a victim’s surcharge, with Sweet Vapez also fined £461 for the underage sale – a total of £30,899.
The prosecution was brought by Shropshire Council following investigations by the council’s trading standards team.
The court heard that on 31 October 2023 trading standards officers visited the shop and found 900 non-compliant vapes concealed in the basement of the shop. Non-compliant vapes have tank capacities containing more than the permitted 2ml per 600 puffs. Those found had capacities of 12ml, 18ml and 20ml.
On 10 July 2024 officers visited the premises again and discovered and seized a total of 215 illegal disposable vapes including some concealed in an old oven. They had capacities of 12ml.
On 9 April 2024, Sweet Vapez Ltd was subject to an underage sales exercise following reports that the business was selling vapes to people under 18 years of age. A 14-year-old volunteer purchased a bottle of e-liquid containing nicotine used to refill vapes.
Chris Schofield, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning and regulatory services, said:
“Our trading standards team wants to work with businesses to ensure they comply with the law and act responsibly. However, where necessary we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action, as this case shows.
“The legal controls that govern vapes are quite clear and the law states that the maximum tank size is 2ml. We have known for many years that nicotine is highly addictive, and therefore the amount and strength of it in compliant devices is controlled for a reason.
“The law relating to sales of alcohol, tobacco, nicotine vaping products, fireworks and other age-restricted products and services exists to protect children and young people from harm – and for this reason the council takes its role in preventing sales of age-restricted products very seriously.”
