Children were among those purchasing vapes from Stourbridge Mini Market in South Road, as revealed by Dudley Council. The shop has faced a three-month closure order following its appearance at Walsall Magistrates Court, facilitated by Dudley Council’s trading standards team.
The court case uncovered evidence that the shop was selling vapes to minors after complaints were lodged. In April, trading standards conducted a test-purchase using a child volunteer, who successfully bought a vape. Following this, a raid on the premises by trading standards officers led to the discovery of 3,000 illegal vapes.
Further investigations resulted in significant seizures of illegal vapes and tobacco. Notably, some of the seized items were found stored in a vehicle and in two separate properties linked to the business. Despite warnings from the authorities, the shop continued its unlawful activities. In June, it even sold alcohol to another child volunteer participating in a trading standards operation.
On 10th July, the council served a 24-hour closure notice on the store, during which more illegal vapes were discovered. The following day, Walsall Magistrates ordered the shop to remain closed for three months. Astonishingly, the owners, who acquired the shop in December, did not attend court to contest the closure.
Councillor Ian Bevan, the cabinet member for public health, viewed this outcome positively: “This is an excellent result in terms of halting the trading activities of this business. Rogue establishments like this not only compromise community health but also undermine legitimate businesses and the local economy.”
