An off-licence in Woolwich Town Centre is facing a hefty fine from the council after selling a vape to a 16-year-old.
On 22 October, Mr Vahid Panah, the owner of Nisa Local in Woolwich, pled guilty at Bexley Magistrates Court for allowing an untrained staff member to serve customers on their first day of work, which resulted in the sale of a vape to an underage test purchaser.
The incident, which took place in November 2024, cost Mr Panah a total of £5,332 in penalty charges, this included a £1,666 fine, costs of £3,000 and a government surcharge of £666.
The court recognised that the primary blame lay with Mr Panah for failing to train the staff member before allowing them to serve customers. The staff member who sold the vape received a 12-month conditional discharge and had to pay £200.
Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: “We are committed to protecting our young people’s health and cracking down on the illegal sale of vapes to minors, holding guilty businesses accountable.
“Nicotine vapes are highly addictive and should only be used by adults to help them stop smoking, and under no circumstances should be readily available to children. Businesses which are prepared to sell dangerous products to children can expect to face criminal sanctions, hefty fines and the removal of licences.”
The Chair of the Bench addressed Mr Panah in court with the following: “The selling of nicotine vapes, particularly in London and Greenwich is causing a real issue to young people. It is not good enough that your shop is selling this material. You are responsible for running the premises. You are responsible for not allowing children to purchase products, in this case nicotine vapes. The fine of £1,666 is the maximum penalty of £2,500 reduced by a third for an early guilty plea.”
If you wish to report the illegal sales of vapes, please contact tradingstandards@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or report anonymously. You can get support with quitting smoking at Live Well Greenwich.
