A North London shop has been hit with another huge fine after it was found selling lighter gas to a 15-year-old.
The Cricklewood store was caught out when council officers conducted a sting operation earlier this year.
Supersave Household, located at 185 Cricklewood Broadway, was being investigated by Brent Council Trading Standards officers.
The shop was caught when the team sent an under-age teenage volunteer into the premises to make the purchase.
The volunteer was able to purchase the 300ml can of lighter gas refill without the cashier asking for any ID to prove their age. Supersave Household pleaded guilty to selling a knife to a person under the age of 18 at the subsequent hearing at Willesden Magistrates Court.
The shop was slapped with over £4,500 worth of fines for the offence, after pleading guilty at the magistrates. Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Public Protection, Cllr Harbi Farah, called it “another great example” of the work done by the council;s Trading Standards team.
He added: “It is so important that laws like these are upheld as they not only protect our young people, but also make sure that all residents feel safe in the knowledge that these items are not being sold to youngsters.”
It is the second having already been ordered to pay another charge for a similar incident. The shop was made to fork out more than £3,000 following a hearing in March of this year after it was caught selling a knife to two under-age volunteers.
This is the second offence the shop has been charged with this year, having already been hit with a whopping fine back in March after pleading guilty to selling knives to an under-age teenager.
In August 2022, another of the council’s volunteers was able to purchase a 23cm knife without being asked for ID, according to Brent Council.
The magistrates stated that this was a serious crime but took the guilty plea into consideration. The company was ordered to pay a total of £3,175.99 for the offence, £1,500 for the incident, as well as being forced to pay the council’s legal costs of £1075.99 and a victim surcharge of £600.
