A SHOP owner has been ordered to pay more than £1,400 after a vape was sold to a child in his shop.

Vape-E-Licious, in Tilbury, was visited as part of a routine test purchasing operation at five businesses across Thurrock on May 11 last year. It was the only shop that day to sell a disposable vape to an underage 15-year-old customer.

Alaur Rahman, owner of the shop in St Chads Road, has been ordered to pay £473 in fines and £1,000 in costs at Basildon Magistrates' Court last Tuesday.

Rahman, 37, of Thames Road, Grays, had admitted selling an age restricted product to an underage person.

The shop failed to ask for identification or the volunteer’s age during the test purchase, and even offered a variety of age restricted products before selling a vape to the young person.

Thurrock Council's trading standards team previously secured a three-month closure order against Vape-E-Licious in September last year after the shop was found to be selling illegal vapes to young people.

Victoria Holloway, councillor for place and the environment, said: “Our trading standards team works hard to keep communities in Thurrock safe. Businesses must follow strict processes to ensure underage children cannot purchase age-restricted products.

“This business, which is in close proximity to nearby schools, continued to sell age restricted products to young people despite multiple warnings. We will not tolerate irresponsible trading and will take action where necessary.”

Report concerns or suspicions that a shop is selling tobacco or vape products to underage children at thurrock.gov.uk/underage-sales.