The director of a convenience store in Bicester has been ordered to pay over £2500 for selling an e-cigarette to a 15-year-old.
The fine comes after an investigation carried out by the Oxfordshire County Council’s trading service, cracking down on the unlawful sales involving minors.
Mr Nevilkumar Mody, a director of Haridisharn Ltd, trading as Bicester Local and Post Office in Sheep Street, pleaded guilty and was convicted of a single offence at Oxford Magistrates Court on Monday 25 September 2023.
The retailer sold the peach ice flavour disposable e-cigarette to a 15-year-old test purchaser in January 2023.
The shop was one of several visited as part of a test purchasing operation, following a series of complaints by local residents, a local councillor and the local policing team.
Mody was fined £400 and was made to pay £160 in victim surcharges, while full costs of £2037 were awarded to Oxfordshire County Council.
As well as being a director of the company and being responsible for training the shop’s staff on legal compliance with age-restricted products, Mr Mody actually made the sale himself and did not ask the test purchaser anything about their age or ask for any identification which would have shown their age.
Councillor Kate Gregory Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services and safety said: “E-cigarettes are one of the most effective methods of supporting someone to quit smoking. However, while e-cigarettes pose only a small fraction of the risk of traditional cigarettes, they are not risk-free products and we do not encourage young people who have never smoked before to begin using them.
“The trading standards teams will continue to make test purchases of this kind, to ensure that adequate precautions are being taken by retailers to prevent the sale of such products to children.”
Jody Kerman Oxfordshire County Council’s head of trading standards said: “Many Oxfordshire retailers work very hard to train their staff and implement systems to prevent the sale of such items to children. The rising popularity of disposable e-cigarettes amongst teenagers makes appropriate age verification checks absolutely essential.
“Those who don’t follow the rules not only put children at risk but also gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. We will continue to respond to community concerns in this area, prioritising the health and wellbeing of residents and helping to create a level playing field for businesses to operate within.”
Anyone with information about the sale of illegal, disposable e-cigarettes or underage sales can report to trading standards via the national consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
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