A Harrow store faces hefty fines after selling vapes to minors and attempting to mislead authorities during an investigation
Harrow: A local convenience store just got into some serious trouble. Teammart, located at Alexandra Avenue Market, was caught selling vapes to two kids, one just 13 years old. Can you believe that?
During a sting operation by Trading Standards, the staff didn’t even bother to check IDs. It’s against the law to sell vapes or tobacco to anyone under 18, and they clearly dropped the ball.
When the officers came back to investigate, the staff member who made the sale took off! The only one left claimed a mysterious woman was covering for them while they were at the hospital. But when asked for her details, he gave wrong info. Sketchy, right?
The investigation showed the store had major issues, like no proper training for staff and no system to track refused sales. Avan Kawani, the store director, admitted they messed up big time.
Councillor Pritesh Pate, who’s in charge of public protection, said it was lucky this was just a test. He pointed out that this could have been a vulnerable young person, which is really concerning.
He emphasized that vaping among young people is a big issue, and every business needs to do its part to prevent underage sales. While many shops follow the rules, they’ll keep cracking down on those who don’t.
In court, the store was hit with a £500 fine, a £200 victim surcharge, and over £1,200 in costs. If you see any suspicious underage sales, you can report them to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.
Want more updates from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest news from across London.
