A HYDE shop owner has been ordered to pay more than £9,000 after being found guilty of supplying illegal vapes following repeated warnings from trading standards officers.
Tameside Council took action against Superstop Convenience Store, based at Hyde bus station, after officers uncovered non-compliant e-cigarettes during multiple visits spanning several months.
Magistrates at Stockport Magistrates’ Court heard how trading standards officers first visited the premises in October 2023, where the owner was advised about regulations surrounding vape sales. A follow-up inspection in November resulted in the seizure of 108 illegal e-cigarettes.
Despite those interventions, a further visit on March 7, 2024 uncovered another 44 non-compliant devices hidden in a drawer beneath the counter.
Non-compliant e-cigarettes can pose serious health risks, often lacking proper labelling and potentially containing harmful or unregulated substances.
The shop’s owner, Assad Khan, of Brantdale Road, Bradford, denied the charges but failed to attend his trial on February 16, 2026. He was subsequently found guilty in his absence.
At a sentencing hearing on April 2, 2026, Khan was fined £2,077 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £831, alongside full prosecution costs of £6,534.11. The court also ordered the forfeiture of all seized vapes and banned him from serving as a company director for three years.
Speaking after the case, Tameside Council’s Strategic Director of Housing, Environment & Estates, Julian Jackson, said: “Illegal vapes can be a health risk containing dangerous chemicals and we won’t hesitate to take action to protect the public.
“I’d like to congratulate our trading standards team on this successful prosecution that sends a clear message that we won’t tolerate retailers who flout the law.”
Council officials are continuing to urge residents and local businesses to report any concerns about illegal tobacco or vaping products, stressing that information can be provided anonymously to help enforcement teams act quickly.