A shop owner in West Wickham has been prosecuted for selling a vape to a person under the age of 18, as part of Bromley Trading Standards’ ongoing work to stop illegal sales to minors.
The council’s Trading Standards service has been helping to protect Bromley’s young people from harm by carrying out enforcement action on the illegal sales of vapes and other age restricted products to underage customers.
As a result of complaints to the council, the team worked with a 14 year old volunteer to carry out a test purchase of an Elf Bar 600 puff ‘grape’ vape at MVE Mobile Vape Exchange on High Street, West Wickham. The underage volunteer was not challenged by the seller and the transaction was completed.
At a hearing at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 10 September 2024, Mr Raj Kumar Nanda, director of Vape & Mobile UK Limited, admitted on behalf of the company to carrying out the sale of a vape to a minor.
Councillor Page, Executive Councillor for Public Protection and Enforcement, said “This conviction sends a strong message to all that this is a serious matter. Our Trading Standards team works in support of local businesses to ensure they are aware of their obligations to protect young people, and to help protect themselves by asking retailers to challenge anyone who appears under the age of 25.”
Councillor Page added, “We are determined to protect young people from the unlawful sale of age restricted products which may cause them or others harm now or in the future and will take enforcement action where needed.”
Vape & Mobile Ltd was ordered to pay a £1,000 fine, £423 in costs and a £400 court surcharge, totalling £1,823.
Residents and consumers are encouraged to report any concerns of retailers selling age restricted products to children in the borough to the Trading Standards team at trading.standards@bromley.gov.uk or to Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133.
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Editors’ notes - It is a criminal offence for any person to sell a nicotine inhaling product to a person aged under 18 years of age by virtue of section 92 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Upon conviction the seller, is liable to fine of up to £2,500.
For media enquiries, please contact David Aderogba, Public Affairs Officer, on 020 8466 3060 or email david.aderogba@bromley.gov.uk.