A VAPE shop that Thurrock Council Trading Standards 'closed down' through legal action last year, has again been the subject of action by the authority!

This week the council announced owner of a Tilbury vape shop has been ordered to pay more than £1,400 after a vape was sold to an underage customer, as part of an operation by its Trading Standards team.

The council revealed Basildon Magistrates recently ordered Alaur Rahman, 37, of Thames Road, Grays, who owns Vape-E-Licious in St Chads Road to pay £473 in fines and £1,000 in costs.

Rahman pleaded guilty to the charge of selling an age restricted product to an underage person under the Children and Families Act 2014.

Trading Standards officers tested five premises across the borough including Vape-E-Licious as part a routine test purchasing operation on Thursday, 11 May 2023. Vape-E-Licious was the only shop that day to sell a disposable vape to an underage 15-year-old volunteer. 

The shop failed to ask for identification or the volunteer's age during the test purchase, and even offered a variety of age restricted products before selling a vape to the young person.

The council's Trading Standard team had previously secured a three-month closure order against Vape-E-Licious in September 2023 after the shop was found to be selling illegal vapes to young people.

Cllr Victoria Holloway, Cabinet Member for Place and the Environment, said: "Our Trading Standards team works hard to keep communities in Thurrock safe. Businesses must follow strict processes to ensure underage children cannot purchase age-restricted products.

"This business, which is in close proximity to nearby schools, continued to sell age restricted products to young people despite multiple warnings. We will not tolerate irresponsible trading and will take action where necessary."

However, the same premises, operating under the same name, was subject of another council 'sting'.

In September 2023, Thurrock Nub News reported on the prosecution of Vape-E-Licious on St Chad's Road.

After the court case Thurrock Council issued a statement quoting Cllr George Coxshall, then cabinet member for health, adult social care, community and public protection, who said: "This closure order will prevent an unscrupulous trader from selling illegal and potentially health damaging products in the borough.

"The fact that they would hide vapes they knew to be illegal and then attempt to sell them from the boot of a car shows flagrant disregard for the safety rules and the wellbeing of their customers.

"Our Trading Standards officers work hard to make sure that illicit goods are not available for sale in the borough.

"This is an example of the action they will take to prevent dangerous items from reaching residents and to make sure that underage children do not have access to potentially harmful products."