TWO businesses in Ashton-under-Lyne have paid the penalty for stocking illegal vapes.
They have been handed hefty fines after police and Trading Standards officers swooped on the premises in response to reports from the public.
The vapes were confiscated in breach of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
Hurst Cross Service Station Ltd pleaded guilty at Tameside Magistrates’ Court to having 106 disposable e-cigarettes, which were non-compliant, for sale.
The Lees Road business, commonly known as Texaco Petrol Station, was fined £449 – plus a victim surcharge of £180, Trading Standards costs of £1,457 and legal costs amounting to £1,200.
According to Tameside Council, similar vapes – all of which exceeded the legal e-liquid nicotine allowance of 2ml – had been seized on two previous occasions at the petrol station over an 18-month period.
Meanwhile, Sreja Ltd – of Kings Road – also admitted in court to having 165 non-compliant disposal e-cigarettes on sale.
Sami Mohammed – owner of the business trading as Kubus Mini Market – pleaded guilty and took responsibility as the business’s sole director.
Mohammed, of Bamford Grove in Ashton-under-Lyne, was fined £333 in his own right. The company was also slapped with a £1,000 fine on top of a £400 victim surcharge, Trading Standards costs of £2,218.99 and legal costs of £800.
The local authority’s Executive Member for Environmental Services and Neighbourhoods says public protection will always be the priority.
“Operations such as this one, in partnership with the police, are vital in keeping our communities safe as well as for supporting the many responsible businesses that comply with the law,” said Councillor Laura Boyle.
“We should always bear in mind that the trade in illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes not only facilitates the supply of tobacco to young people. It also supports crime rings, damages legitimate businesses, and undermines public health.”