A Hazel Grove shopkeeper has been fined after selling an e-cigarette to an underage Trading Standards volunteer

• He was fined £2,000 for the sale, £3,500 for supplying without packaging, £1,520 victim surcharge and £2394.08 in prosecution costs
• Council spokesperson: "This is an excellent result for Stockport"

A shopkeeper at Pound Hut, Hazel Grove, has been fined after he sold an e-cigarette to an underage trading standards volunteer. 

Syed Nasir Afzal Shah, of Amafhha Traders Ltd, had failed to ask the child for age identification.

Mr Shah, 54, was also fined a further £3,500 for supplying an e-cigarette without packaging or an information leaflet during the transaction.

Mr Shah had previously entered guilty pleas to all offences on behalf of himself and his company, at Tameside Magistrates Court. The £5,700 fines were reduced to £3,800 to credit the early guilty pleas. However, he was still ordered to pay £1,520 victim surcharge and £2,394.08 in prosecution costs.

"An excellent result."

A Council spokesperson said: "This is an excellent result for Stockport and really demonstrates just how seriously the courts are taking the illegal sale of vapes. Unregulated vapes and illegal sales can be dangerous and harmful. 

"Our Trading Standards team will continue to robustly enforce the law to keep people safe especially our children and youngsters and bring those to justice who commit crime in our neighbourhoods."

Number of children vaping has trebled since 2017

Although the percentage of children smoking in Stockport has halved since 2017, the number of children vaping has trebled.

In research by Trading Standards, 70% of teenagers said they have used disposable (single use) vapes. Over a third said they vaped because they like the flavours, it's cheaper than smoking and they are easier to obtain than tobacco cigarettes.

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