Eltham Vape Shop Slapped with £17,258 Fine for Selling Illegal Kid-Friendly Vapes
A mobile phone shop in Eltham has been hit with a hefty £17,258 fine after flogging illegal vapes — many decked out with cartoon characters and fruity logos clearly targeting children.
Repairs 4 Mobile, on Eltham High Street, and its director Hassam Zia, were prosecuted by the Royal Borough of Greenwich following multiple council visits and complaints from worried locals.
Illegal Vapes Seized After Council Raids
Council officers first dropped by in April 2022, handing out warnings about legal sales. But a follow-up in July uncovered a stash of 603 illegal vapes, which were promptly seized.
The banned products featured sweet-inspired branding and cartoon-style fruit characters, clearly designed to lure in kids.
Council Cracks Down with Tough Penalty
Appearing at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on March 26, Mr Zia pleaded guilty to selling mislabelled and unauthorised vaping products. Despite claiming medical issues and blaming staff for selling the vapes without his knowledge, the court handed down serious fines.
- £2,500 fines each for Mr Zia and Repairs 4 Mobile
- £1,000 victim compensation charges
- £5,129 court costs
The total bill? A whopping £17,258.
“This fine is a great outcome and sends a message of the council’s no-tolerance approach to the sale of illegal vapes,” said Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement.
“These vapes were clearly marketed towards minors, which is completely unacceptable and dangerous, so the fine reflects the seriousness of the offence.”
“We hope this substantial fine sends a message to anyone seeking to trade harmful goods in our borough.”
Greenwich Council Vows to Keep Fighting Illegal Vape Sales
The council is not backing down on cracking down on illegal vape sales — especially those targeting children and teens.
Residents spotting dodgy or unsafe products are urged to report them to the Trading Standards team to help protect local communities.
