Hillingdon Council prosecutes traders for illegal vape sales

The hearings took place at Ealing Magistrates' Court on Monday 25 November and followed a test purchasing operation carried out by the council in January this year where vapes were sold to young volunteers under the age of 18. 

Abdul Baratali, 42, of Drayton Gardens, West Drayton, and Ahmad Kazeemi, 41, of Yew Avenue, West Drayton, who run Yiewsley Food Centre in High Street, West Drayton, were both fined £250, ordered to pay costs of £500 each, and victim surcharges of £100 each. 

Krushil Patel, 28, of Cornwall Avenue, Southall, who works at Yeading Convenience Store in Yeading Lane, Hayes was fined £250, ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £100. The company, Yeading Convenience Store Ltd, was also fined and ordered to pay the same amounts. 

Siddharth Bhatt, 24, of Albert Road, Harrow, who works at H T Food and Wine, in High Street, Ruislip, was fined £150, ordered to pay costs of £300 and a £60 victim surcharge.  

The company which runs the store, A S Patel Food & Wine Ltd, had been fined £440, costs of £1,000 and a victim surcharge of £176 at a previous hearing at the court in September. 

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, said: "We're determined to keep Hillingdon a safe borough where communities can thrive, and this is another excellent result for our trading standards team who work tirelessly to protect residents from harm.  

"These cases send a strong message that we will take robust action when retailers flout the law and sell vapes and other age restricted products to children.  

"We have a duty to uphold the law and protect our young people, which is why we will continue to stop at nothing to prevent businesses in our borough illegally selling these items to our young people."  

If you suspect a business is selling age-restricted products to under-18s, email tradingstandards@hillingdon.gov.uk or call 01895 250164 (Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm).