Hartlepool shop hit with alcohol ban over illegal vapes

The shop was raided by trading standards officers and police who found 1,200 illegal devices

A shop has had its alcohol licence suspended for six weeks after concerns around illegal vapes being sold.

It follows a trading standards probe at Lifestyle Express, known as Top Shop, in Jesmond Gardens, Hartlepool.

A banned Elux Legend 3500 was sold to an undercover officer in May, with some 1,200 illegal devices seized during a raid in June.

Duncan Craig, representing licence holder Aniruth Sivalingham, told the local council "it won't happen again".

The Elux Legend 3500 cannot legally be sold in the UK, trading standards officials said, and was taken "from a concealed and out-of-sight place behind the counter", the sub-licensing committee heard.

The oversized tanks - enough for 3,500 puffs, the equivalent of smoking 280 cigarettes

A vape pen should provide no more than 600 to 800 puffs, according to the law.

When the shop and flat above were raided by local authority officers and Cleveland Police, 1,214 non-compliant devices were seized with an estimated total street value of £12,140, a meeting was told.

The case went before Hartlepool Borough Council's licensing sub-committee on Tuesday, where it was decided the convenience store would have its licence suspended for six weeks, banning it from selling alcohol.

It must also increase CCTV coverage, extending Challenge 25 to all age-restricted products including vapes, and keep an incident book for such items, along with invoices for 12 months.

'Wilful negligence'

The meeting heard vapes were seized from a room in the flat above the store and a staircase leading to it, while 75 were found across three boxes under the counter, two of which had "do not sell, to be returned" written on.

Neil Harrison, senior trading standards officer, said: "This has happened due to potentially wilful negligence or a deliberate act.

"If they are responsible for selling alcohol the concern is, have things been done correctly in terms of alcohol sales too?"

The illegal devices seized had an estimated street value of £12,140, councillors were told

Mr Craig stressed store boss Mr Sivalingham had not caused "any responsible authorities any issues" since taking the position in 2019.

Mr Sivalingham admitted it was "his mistake", with the non-compliant vapes delivered inadvertently following an order for legal e-cigarettes from a man only known as "Mo".

He added after returning from a weekend away the day before the search warrant took place he ensured the store "stopped selling the devices".

However, council officers said this was "not compatible" with their test purchase, or earlier complaints, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Mr Sivalingham claimed the previous sales were remaining vapes from boxes bought several years prior and he issued a final warning to the staff member who sold them.