According to local media in the UK, on February 28, Teesside County Court issued a three-month closure order for Station Express.
In addition to concerns raised about the sale of e-cigarettes to children, the court also heard reports from the Department of Trade Standards and the Cleveland Police about a search conducted at the shop last November, which resulted in the seizure of various illegal and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco products.
Further testing conducted by the Trade Standards Department of the City Council has confirmed that stores are selling illegal tobacco products that do not meet labeling requirements. The items seized include 84 oversized vapes that do not comply with regulations, 174 e-liquids exceeding the legal limit of 2 milliliters, and 16 e-cigarettes that infringe on registered trademarks.
Despite being warned, the shop owner was caught with another 31 modified e-cigarettes stashed in hidden compartments under the store counter when officials from the Department of Trade Standards returned to the store in February 2024. They also conducted a test purchase, during which an illegal e-cigarette was sold to a child.
Norma Stephenson, Head of Trading Standards and Community Safety at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, stated that counterfeit cigarettes, tobacco, and e-cigarettes pose significant health risks to individuals as it is difficult to know their ingredients. Of particular concern is the sale of these products to children.
Sir Michael Bichard, Chairman of the National Trading Standards, emphasized that the successful ongoing collaboration between the National Trading Standards Alliance and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has effectively disrupted this illegal trade.
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