St Annes shop fined £10k after selling Elf Bars to 15-year-old and counterfeit cigarettes to undercover officers

Undercover officers were sold counterfeit Richmond and Lambert & Butler products at St Albans Convenience Store in St Annes.

A 15-year-old was also able to buy two disposable Elf Bar vapes during a test purchase for underage sales.

A trading standards officer was also able to buy two boxes of counterfeit cigarettes at £5 a packet, one in non-standardised packaging, in August and September.

Officers subsequently carried out an inspection at the shop in September.

They found illicit tobacco in drawers behind the shop counter and in a concealed compartment in the back of a cupboard in the kitchen/storage area.

The back of the cupboard slid up to reveal a number of bricks had been removed to create the storage space.

A total of 112 packets of tobacco consisting of counterfeit cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco were seized.

A couple of weeks later, staff at the shop once again sold a packet of counterfeit cigarettes to an undercover officer.

An underage volunteer test purchaser was also able to buy two Elf Bars in October.

Idres Maoloud, the sole Company Director, failed to attend court but had previously responded to interview questions under caution on behalf of the limited company.

He said he did not know that the tobacco was illegal and that he had been given them as payment for food and drink items by someone who did not have any money.

He explained the tobacco was put in the concealed compartment in case the shop was robbed.

He also said the man who had made the Elf Bar sales was not working at the shop and was just helping out, and that he had not provided him with any training regarding age restricted products.

The majority of the cigarettes proved to be counterfeit, meaning there are no controls over what goes into making them or on the levels of harmful substances they can contain.

No representatives for St Albans Convenience Stores Ltd attended court and the company was found guilty in its absence and fined £10,000.

The magistrates also awarded costs totalling £1,691.69 and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all of the tobacco.

Speaking after the case, County Coun Michael Green said: “Trading Standards officers are declaring war against shops prepared to sell age-restricted products to young people and will continue to prosecute traders selling smuggled and counterfeit tobacco products.

“Our young people are accessing vapes for pocket money too easily from some unscrupulous shops not taking their responsibilities seriously, however, this significant sentence of £10,000 shows that such illegality is not worth the risk.

“Our officers are committed to protecting young people from accessing age restricted products and ensuring a level playing field for businesses who trade fairly and honestly.”

He added: “I encourage any residents who have concerns that a shop may be selling counterfeit goods or selling products to someone underage to report their suspicions to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.”