Shopkeeper fined for selling cigarettes to 17-year-old

WARRINGTON Borough Council’s public protection chief has stressed the importance of stamping out the illegal sale of tobacco products to children.
Cllr Judith Guthrie (pictured), the council’s lead member for public protection was speaking after a court case in which an Appleton shopkeeper pleaded guilty to selling a packet of 10 cigarettes to a 17-year-old Trading Standards volunteer.
Arshid Amin, owner of Bridge Lane News, Bridge Lane, Appleton had previously been given advice on the sale of tobacco products by Warrington’s trading standards team, the court was told.
But he had not fully acted on this advice.
Magistrates fined him £150 and ordered him to pay £200 investigation costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
After the hearing, Cllr Guthrie said: “Selling tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 will not be tolerated. Tobacco is an
addictive and deadly product that must be prevented from falling into the hands of children and young people.
“Our Trading Standards service has spent a lot of time educating retailers to ensure they do not supply age-restricted products such as tobacco to those under age and it is always disappointing when such sales occur.
“Tobacco causes its users serious health problems, and also impacts on the community in the form of costs to the NHS.”
The council’s assistant director, regulation and public protection, Peter Astley, said: “Test purchase operations such as these are an important part of our work to crack down on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol to underage people.
“Retailers know that they have a responsibility to check the age of their customers, and if they fail to follow the advice provided by our team, then action will be taken against them.”