Hundreds of illegal vapes – including the biggest in the area – seized from a shop near Bristol

Trading Standards and police seized 275 illegal vapes – including the largest full-sized e-cigarette ever found in South Gloucestershire – from a shop in Mangotsfield, a panel of councilors heard. The illegal devices were “hidden in plain sight” in crisper boxes with newspapers on top near the house at News Extra, also known as Londis News, in Burley Grove, after previously being displayed for sale.

Shopkeeper Sabna Begum was taken to a trading standards license review hearing by Avon & Somerset Constabulary, which called for the trade license to sell alcohol to be revoked. They also requested that Ms. Begum be removed as Designated Site Supervisor (DPS).

But South Gloucestershire Council’s licensing sub-committee decided to suspend the premises’ license for four weeks to give it “time to reflect and address” the “serious concerns”. Solicitor Andrea Forrest, representing the premises licensee, said Mrs Begnum “took her eye off the ball” at the shop to raise children and left her husband Syed Ali to run it and it was he who he then commanded the illegal ships.

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Miss Forrest said “mistakes” had been made but their children were now old enough for the wife to take back control of the shop. Mr Ali is the sole director of News Extra’s parent company, Burley News Ltd, but Ms Begum is the licensee for the premises and DPS is responsible for day-to-day operations.

Senior trading standards officer Alan Cahill told the hearing on Thursday, July 25, that police received a complaint on April 11 that staff were selling non-compliant e-cigarettes to under-18s. He said police and trading standards visited on April 29 and seized 275 illegal vapes, including one which was advertised as having 12 times the capacity of the tank – where the nicotine e-liquid is stored – allowed by law.

He had 24ml compared to the legal limit of 2ml, he said. Mr Cahill said police licensing officer Wes Hussey witnessed the sale of tobacco products.

He said: “It is an offense to be in possession of non-compliant e-cigarettes and it is an offense to openly display tobacco products. A criminal investigation is ongoing into the 275 e-cigarettes seized from the premises, the tobacco issue and another trading standards offence.”

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Mr Cahill said Mr Ali would be interviewed about the matter. He said that in February 2022 trading standards seized 15 illegal disposable vapes from the store and gave advice on how to comply with the law.

“Over the past two years, we have received information or complaints that the store is selling e-cigarettes, tobacco products and alcohol to minors,” Mr Cahill said. “Trading Standards consider that neither the premises licencee, business owner or perhaps some of the employees have any regard for meeting the licensing objectives of ‘preventing crime and disorder’ and ‘protecting children from harm’.

“In our opinion, Ms Begum is not a fit and proper person to be a DPS or hold a premises licence. Trading Standards would like to see DPS and the premises licensee removed and the premises license revoked.”

In his application for a license review, Mr Cahill said: “On this latest occasion the Hayati 15,000 puff devices were the largest oversized devices I have ever come across in South Gloucestershire, advertised as containing 24ml of e- nicotine liquid. The legal limit is 2ml, making them 12 times over the legal limit.

“Many of the devices seized on April 29 are appealing to children, particularly the Enjoy 9,000 and Twister Bar puffs, which are brightly colored and look like drink containers.” Mr Hussey told the group: “In April, police received information in relation to the illegal sale of alcohol and vaping to underage children.

“One incident involved a 14-year-old girl who managed to buy some vodka.” He said he visited the shop on April 17, when Mr Ali denied the allegations.

Mr Hussey said he saw a large amount of e-cigarettes on display, including some that did not appear to be legally compliant. He said he accompanied Trading Standards 12 days later and found the suspicious vessels hidden in crisps boxes which were covered by newspapers.

“That tells me there’s some knowledge that they shouldn’t be selling them, but they’ve hidden them in boxes out of public view, and if people ask for them, they’re there very quickly to grab them and sell them.” he said. “It is the police’s concern that Ms Begum has little or no involvement in the day-to-day running of the premises, she has no involvement in the sale of alcohol or the types of vapes being sold, so we do not trust her to be promoting. license objectives.

“We support the revocation that Trading Standards called for with the premises licence. We also recommend that DPS be removed.”

He said the business failed to take action despite multiple warnings. Miss Forrest said the family had run the shop for 21 years, except for a short period in 2017-18.

She said: “Over these 21 years, there has never been a test purchase where there was evidence of a sale to minors. All are baseless accusations.

“Over the years they have refused sales (to children). That being said, there were issues that got us here today, namely the purchase of non-compliant vapes by businesses.

“My client, Mrs Begum, the premises licensee, had left her husband to take care of the stock purchase and the running of the shop, mainly because she had children and was raising them and focusing on her children. They used to live above the shop so it was much easier for Mrs Begum to get the children to come downstairs and be in the shop and now they have moved to another house.

“But the youngest child is now old enough for her to take a more active role in the business and it’s the sensible thing to do. My client has now taken over stock ordering and store control to ensure compliance.

“It’s a very small business – husband and wife and one staff member – so taking DPS out would shut down the business. That being said, my client took her eye off the ball due to having children, but she will have a more active role.

“This is not about deliberately breaking the law. Vapes found on the floor – Mr Ali contacted the supplier and asked him to come pick them up.

“They were not deliberately hidden from view. The venue licensee made mistakes by allowing Mr Ali more control while her children were growing up.

“This will not happen in the future.” She said Mr Ali made a mistake due to a lack of knowledge about illegal vaping.

Announcing the decision, committee chairman Cllr Alex Doyle said: “The sub-committee was very concerned by the findings of both Trading Standards and the police in their visit to the premises. The Sub-Committee was concerned that Ms Begum had shown a lack of understanding of her role and responsibilities as Premises Licensee and considered that a period of suspension would allow her to reflect and address the issues raised by commercial and policing standards.”

South Gloucestershire Council later said no arrests had been made.