A man from Gloucester has pleaded guilty and been fined more than £6,000 for selling illegal disposable vapes.

Hiwa Elyasi, aged 22, of New Street, Gloucester, appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Monday, October 28.

He pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates Court for four offences selling illegal disposable vapes which contained more than the legal limit of two millilitres of nicotine liquid.

Mr Elyasi was ordered to pay a total of £6,384, with £666 for the first offence and £1,066 for each of the subsequent three offences. He will also pay costs of £975 and victim surcharge of £1,545.

During a Trading Standards inspection at One Stop Shop, 107 Southgate Street, Gloucester, on February 7, 2024, Trading Standards officers found 1,005 illegal vapes each of which contained more than two millilitres of nicotine liquid. Mr Elyasi came to the shop and confirmed he was the owner. The goods were seized and Mr Elyasi was invited to attend an interview under caution.

Following his interview under caution, Trading Standards officers visited the shop again on February 27 and 29, 2024, and found 120 and 54 illegal vapes respectively. These were all seized. 

On March 6, 2024, Mr Elyasi was the driver of a car stopped on Southgate Street in close proximity to One Stop Shop. The car contained the keys to the shop together with 384 illegal vapes which were seized by Trading Standards officers.

Mr Elyasi told the court that he was no longer the owner of the shop having surrendered it following the seizure on March 6. Trading Standards informed the court that this shop was the first prosecution in Gloucestershire for the sale of illegal vapes and was brought due to the long history of issues with the shop.

The magistrates, recognising the repeated offending and that Mr Elyasi must have acquired new stocks of illegal vapes to sell following the first seizure from his shop, issued him with a fine.

Councillor Dave Norman, cabinet member responsible for Trading Standards at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Our officers continue to inspect shops to ensure that any nicotine inhaling products are legal.

"In this case Mr Elyasi continued to supply illegal items which left us no choice than to take formal action."

Any information about illegal vape sales can be reported to Trading Standards on tradingstandards@gloucestershire.gov.uk, or by telephoning the consumer advice line on 0808 223 1133.