LoginVape Seller Fined for Under-Age Sale
A Reading shop which illegally sold a vape to a 14-year-old has been prosecuted.
Journal of Trading Standards Staff
Posted 01 August 2025 | JoTS Online
Content Tags: Updates|Vapes|South East
A shop in Reading which sold a vape to a 14-year-old despite repeated warnings and previous enforcement action has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling almost £2,000 after an investigation by Reading Trading Standards.
Reading Accessories, based at 12a Union Street in the Berkshire town, was visited by a 14-year-old volunteer and an undercover Trading Standards Officer on 17 February 2025 as part of a test-purchasing operation.
When the child asked for a vape, the shop’s owner, Jaspal Singh Chopra (45), sold it to him without asking for any form of identification or challenging him about his age.
At Reading Magistrates’ Court on 11 July, Chopra pleaded guilty on behalf of his business to a breach of the Children and Families Act 2014, under which it is illegal to sell any type of e-cigarette or nicotine inhaling product to anyone under the age of 18.
Where it is clear business operators have no regard for the law, we will not hesitate to take decisive action
Reading Accessories had previously failed three under-age test purchases in 2022, and the shop was closed for three months in 2023 after being subject to a closure order.
During a formal interview, Chopra acknowledged he did not challenge the volunteer’s age and wrongly sold him the vape, saying he was distracted at the time by a phone conversation with his wife, who was unwell.
Magistrates credited Chopra for his early guilty plea and imposed a reduced fine of £185. He was also ordered to pay a £74 victim surcharge plus £1,570 in prosecution costs, bringing the total financial penalty to £1,829.
Councillor Karen Rowland, lead for Environmental Services and Community Safety at Reading Borough Council, said: “I’m pleased that this prosecution has cost the retailer nearly £2,000 in this instance, and this should serve as a wake-up call to retailers in Reading that the Council will not hesitate to act against anyone found to be selling age-restricted products illegally.
“The health risks associated with underage vaping are well documented. Our dedicated Trading Standards team carries out regular test purchases and inspections across the Borough to ensure that businesses are operating responsibly and helping to protect young people from harm.
“Where it is clear business operators have no regard for the law, we will not hesitate to take decisive action to ensure businesses protect public safety and comply with legal standards.”
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Content Tags: Updates|Vapes|South East
