"We take breaches like this very seriously" - Councillor speaks out after Walsall shop fined after illegal kiwi elf bar vape pod sold to 16 year-olds
A Walsall shop and its employee were fined for illegally selling a vape pod to a 16-year-old, despite prior warnings and guidance.Summary
DSL Loha Ltd, trading as The Plug in Walsall, was fined £2,444.44 after selling a strawberry kiwi Elf Bar vape pod to a 16-year-old volunteer on March 12th. The seller, Pamkag Mehta, 24, did not verify the volunteer’s age. Trading standards had previously provided the business with advice, including Challenge 25 posters and a refusals register, which was missing during a follow-up inspection. Business owner Dharmendra Singh claimed to have never received the register and provided conflicting information about Mehta’s employment. Singh also demonstrated a lack of understanding regarding age-restricted sales laws. Councillor Adam Hicken emphasized the seriousness of the breach and the council’s commitment to enforcing age-restricted sales laws to protect young people. Mehta was fined a total of £2,736.43 for his involvement, despite failing to cooperate with trading standards and missing court appearances.
(Source：Express & Star)
