THE directors of an Eastcote newsagents have been ordered to pay more than £8,000 after selling a vape to a 15-year-old and for supplying illegal, oversized vapes.

Narinder and Kartar Lamba, of Eastcote Newsbox, each admitted the two offences when they appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court following a prosecution brought by Hillingdon Council’s trading standards team.

The court was told the trading standards team was conducting under-age test sales using a 15-year-old child in February.

The youth was sold a 1,500 puff ‘Blue Razz’ disposable vape, which contained nicotine, by Narinder Singh who was serving at the store in Field End Road.

The legal limit for disposable e-vapes is 2ml of liquid or around 600 puffs.

Kartar Lamba was not in the shop at the time of the sale but was culpable by way of being responsible for supplying the shop’s stock.

Kartar said the item had been supplied by a salesman who cold-called at the store.

Both directors said they were aware the 1,500 puff vape was illegal to sell and hadn’t intended to sell it. The council’s case was that this was not true.

For the sale of an illegal vape, and selling restricted goods to a minor, Narinder Lamba was fined £800, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £320 and the council’s costs of £550.

Kartar Lamba and the company also faced a single charge of selling a vape with liquid exceeding the legal limit.

For this charge, Kartar Lamba was fined £800, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £320 and the council’s costs of £550.

Eastcote Newsbox was fined £3,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,200 and a contribution to the council’s costs of £550.

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “The scourge of illegal vapes is nationwide and this prosecution highlights the ease in which both oversized products can be bought and how they can also be sold to children, without the correct checks.

“This is a sizeable financial burden for this local business, which I am positive will highlight how seriously we take this issue.”