Four out of seven Stratford businesses were caught out selling alcohol and vapes to young teens in sting by Warwickshire Trading Standards and police
A STING operation by police and trading standards in Stratford caught four out of seven businesses selling alcohol and vapes to underage customers.
During the operation, Stratford Neighbourhood Team (SNT) and officers from Warwickshire Trading Standards investigated illegal sales activity in the town.
Reporting on what happened at the end of the undercover investigation on Friday, 25th April, the SNT said: “We are very disappointed to announce that four out of the seven commercial properties we tested failed, having been found selling vapes and alcohol to our 17-year-old volunteers without asking for ID.”
They added: “We take the safety and wellbeing of the young persons in our town very seriously. Excuses such as ‘she looked 28’ when referring to our volunteers did not wash with us. As such, we will be supporting trading standards in holding these businesses to account for selling these harmful substances to children.”
In the UK it is illegal for under-18s to buy nicotine vaping products or alcohol – and also against the law for others to purchase them on their behalf.
Selling age-restricted pro-ducts to someone underage is a criminal offense that can result in fines, prison sentences, or even the loss of a business’s licence. Businesses can defend themselves by demonstrating they took reasonable precautions, such as asking for proof of age and keeping a refusals register.
The businesses in question are currently under investigation, and are not being named, despite widespread calls from the public.
Commenting on Facebook, Mark Harris said: “Great work but name the shops so they can be boycotted and sent bankrupt.”
Backing that, Darren Clifford said: “Name and shame please... Vapes should be removed from any counters and hidden like cigarettes are... we need to protect young lungs.”
Calling for greater enforcement, Ron Treadwell added: “This is totally disgusting, I hope they have the book thrown at them. What is going on in this town? Why aren’t licences removed by the enforcement officers? I worked in retail, and had annual training on Think 25 – failure to comply was a breach of contract and instant dismissal.”
Meanwhile a spokesperson for Warwickshire Trading Standards said: “The sale of vapes to children is a concern for parents, schools and the wider community.
“Trading standards are working with the police to crack down on businesses that sell vapes to minors and bring them into compliance.
“We employ a range of measures including providing guidance to traders on the law, and in some cases asking child volunteers to attempt to buy age restricted products. In most cases, I’m pleased to say, retailers ‘challenge 25’ and refuse to sell, but it was clearly very disappointing that four of the seven premises we visited in Stratford failed these tests. These businesses are currently under investigation.”
People can report the sale of age-restricted products to children via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133.
