A Bolton shop owner has been fined £15,000 after over 8,000 illegal vapes were discovered at his petrol station
Salim Patel, who runs the Texaco Horwich Service Station, pleaded guilty in court. This all went down on December 23. The council said this was the biggest haul they’ve ever had in the area.
The vapes were illegal for a bunch of reasons. Some didn’t meet the tank size rules, and others had dodgy ingredients. Trading standards had been keeping an eye on Patel for a while.
They got six complaints about illegal vapes being sold there. Officers visited the shop four times over six months, seizing around 7,200 vapes. Even after getting a formal caution, Patel didn’t stop.
In December, they did two test purchases and found more illegal vapes. On December 20, they searched the place and found another 1,000 vapes hidden behind the counter.
Patel ended up pleading guilty to all charges. He got a £7,500 fine, plus a victim surcharge and costs that added up to over £4,000.
Bolton Council’s cabinet member, Hamid Khurram, said Patel completely ignored the law. He thanked the officers for their hard work and hopes this case sends a strong message to others selling illegal vapes in Bolton.
