Council Catches Off Licenses Selling Alcohol and Tobacco to Kids

After a council sting, a number of alcohol and tobacco traders were found to be selling products to children under the age of 18.

Using 15 and 16 year olds over the half term break, the council carried out a number of test purchases of cigarettes, alcohol and chewing tobacco to see who broke the law (the selling of cigarettes, alcohol and chewing tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 is illegal as set out by the Licensing Act and the Children and Young Persons Act).

68 businesses were visited by the council’s Environmental Health and Trading Standards service. 19 shops that were visited sold chewing tobacco, 8 of the shops supplied the minor. 31 outlets selling cigarettes were visited, 4 sold products to the test purchaser. Out of the 18 shops that sold alcohol, 4 of them sold alcohol to young people.

E2 Minimarket on Bethnal Green Road, was fined £1,426 after breaking the law, contrary to Section 146 of the Licensing Act. E2 Minimarket was caught selling WKD to a 14-year-old volunteer in March 2015.

John Biggs, the Mayor of Tower Hamlets said: “Selling these products to people under the age of 18 is a serious offence. We hope this latest successful operation by our officers will act as a deterrent to those who feel they can operate above the law.”

Source: Tower Hamlets Council