Man sentenced over fake Skittles and Ribena vapes

Royal Vapes has shops in Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Nuneaton

The owner of a vape shop has been sentenced to community service for selling vapes made to look trademarked sweet brands.

Warwickshire Vape Ltd and its owner Luke Benjamin Spencer, 41, admitted the charges brought by Warwickshire County Council.

The authority said officers seized hundreds of illegal vapes from the business, which has Royal Vapes premises in Kenilworth, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton and Warwick.

They found vapes with illegally-high amounts of nicotine in them and others using images and words associated with Skittles and Ribena.

The business had been warned to remove the products from sale but failed to do so, the council said.

Spencer’s lawyers said his law-breaking had not been deliberate, but magistrates heard he had been selling vapes for 10 years and had 18 employees.

Appearing at Coventry Magistrates Court on 26 February, Spencer, of Hicks Drive, Hampton Magna, Warwick, pleaded guilty to six offences.

He was ordered to complete 200 hours' unpaid work under a 12-month community order and pay £4,592 prosecution costs as well as a £114 victim surcharge.

'Dangerous and addictive'

Warwickshire County Council portfolio holder for community safety, Andy Crump said: “Illegal vapes, which can contain dangerous levels of nicotine, a highly addictive drug, should not be on sale in Warwickshire.

“Nicotine poisoning can cause a range of problems including nausea, vomiting, pain in the stomach or gut, or diarrhoea.

“Trading Standards Officers tried to work with this business to remove these illegal products from sale, but in vain, leaving them with no option but to take court action to protect the health of consumers.”

As well as the charges Spencer faced personally, the company admitted seven offences, was fined £910 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £4,590 and a £91 victim surcharge.

Magistrates also ordered the destruction of over 500 illegal vapes seized from the business.

The company said there were now measures in place to ensure that only legal products are sold, including a compliance policy and compliance manager who review all products for sale.