Vapes Retailer in Court
Wednesday 7 June
On the 1st June 2023, Abdulrehman Patel and Habibur Patel, from Batley appeared at Kirklees Magistrates Court for selling a disposable electronic cigarette to a person under the age of 18 at Patsons News, 15 Branch Road, Batley, WF17 7RX. The test purchaser was 13 years of age at the time. Abdulrehman Patel pleaded guilty as the owner of the business to committing the offence under The Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015 an offence by virtue of The Children and Families Act 2014.
Abdulrehman Patel was fined £497, which had been reduced due to an early guilty plea. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £195 and pay costs of £939. Habibur Patel, the seller of the disposable electronic cigarette Patel pleaded guilty to committing the offence under The Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015 an offence by virtue of The Children and Families Act 2014. Habibur Patel was fined £197, which had been reduced due to an early guilty plea. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £79 and pay costs of £469.
The business was known to West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service (WYTSS) with the Service having received complaints about the premises age restricted products to persons under the age of 18.
In October 2022 Officers from West Yorkshire Trading Standards along with a test purchaser who was 13 years old at the time visited Patsons News following complaints being received that disposable electronic cigarettes were being sold to children. The test purchaser was able to obtain an Elf Bar 600 even though he had told the seller he was 13.
Abdulrehman Patel and Habibur Patel assisted officers with their investigation and were co-operative and attended interviews under caution.
Councillor Habiban Zaman, Member of the West Yorkshire Joint Service Committee which oversees the work of Trading Standards said, “the sales of vapes to children seriously undermines public health and the prevalence and popularity of these items with minors is an ongoing and serious concern.”
David Strover, Trading Standards Manager - Business Service Team said “this test purchase is part of an ongoing operation to tackle shops that sell vapes to children and flout the law. Retailers are advised to take steps to ensure that their staff are trained and competent at refusing sales to under 18s - trading standards will act to investigate and prosecute those traders who sell age restricted goods unlawfully.
Consumers wishing to report illegal trading practices, including the sale of age restricted goods to children can call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 to report their concerns - this can be done anonymously.