Shopkeeper fined over £2500 for selling illegal vapes

A Newport shop owner has been prosecuted and fined over £2500 for selling disposable vapes with higher amounts of nicotine-containing liquid than permitted

Vapes were found in Lifestyle Express, 238 Corporation Road, with between 2,500 and 3,500 puffs in each tank. The legal limit is around 600 puffs or 2ml.

Kalpesh Patel, 53, pleaded guilty to one offence of having disposable vapes available for supply that breached the regulations. He admitted a further three offences of failing to include an information leaflet with the products.

Cwmbran magistrates fined him a total of £1332 and ordered him to pay costs of £1046 plus a victim surcharge of £133.

The prosecution was brought by Newport City Council following an investigation by trading standards officers.

“These vapes posed a serious risk to health and I’m pleased the magistrates recognised the gravity of the offence,” Cllr James Clarke, the council’s cabinet member for strategic planning, regulation and housing, said.

“Our trading standards officers are to be commended for taking action to protect the health of the public by taking action. I would urge anyone with concerns about possible similar occurrences to contact them.”