Bridgnorth business owner fined for underage vape sale

A Bridgnorth business owner has been convicted of selling a nicotine vape product to a minor under the legal age of 18, following a prosecution by Shropshire Council.

Ahsan Tariq, owner and manager of Mobile World, Central Court, High Street, Bridgnorth, was convicted in his absence at Telford Magistrates Court and ordered to pay a total of £6,025.31 in fines and costs.

The charges followed a test purchasing exercise conducted by trading standards officers last year.

A total of 14 premises were tested, and all others refused to sell to an ‘undercover’ volunteer.

Richard Marshall, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and regulatory services, said:

“We want to make Shropshire is a strong, safe and attractive place for people, and our trading standards team will continue to work to ensure laws on age related products are complied with.

“Our Shropshire Plan is to protect the health and wellbeing of Shropshire’s people and communities. This kind of work by trading standards helps prevent under 18s from accessing age-restricted products from businesses who flout the law.”

Frances Darling, Shropshire Council’s head of business and consumer protection, said:

“This is a reminder to any business selling age-restricted products of their responsibilities to prevent sales to minors, such as ‘Challenge 25′, requesting photo ID, and ensuring all staff receive adequate training.

“The council will continue to run test purchasing exercises, targeting businesses where we’ve received intelligence or information that underage sales may be happening, to ensure that businesses are taking steps to prevent this.”

If you suspect a business may be selling vapes or other age-restricted products to minors, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133. Information can be given anonymously, and will always be treated in line with the council’s information governance policies.