A Longton shopworker was sentenced yesterday (3 April) after selling vapes to underage children.

Mustafa Karim, trading as Stoke City Vapes Store in Longton, pleaded guilty to one count of selling an e-liquid to a person under 18.

The sale was part of an underage sales test purchasing exercise by Stoke-on-Trent City Council Trading Standards team in July 2022 and was made to two fifteen-year-old volunteers.

25 illegal vapes were also seized, including those with tank sizes too large, have incorrect health warnings or which falsely claim to be zero-nicotine.

25 illegal vapes were seized from the Longton store (Stoke-on-Trent City Council).

Mr Karim has been fined a total of £250 with a £100 victim surcharge and ordered to pay £611 costs.

A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesperson said: "Our test purchases are done in a controlled way to check that premises are following the legal requirements that are in place to protect residents.

"All retailers should ensure their staff are properly trained to prevent these products getting into the hands of children."

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