The successful prosecution was brought by our trading standards team following an investigation.
Ajit Sethi, 75, sole trader of Mickleover, Derby, appeared before Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court on Monday (22 September 2025), and pleaded guilty to a charge of selling nicotine inhaling products (vapes) to an underage person from his market stall at Chesterfield Market.
In November 2024, Derbyshire Trading Standards Officers conducted a test purchase exercise at the market stall when 2 vapes were sold to a young person under the age of 18 years by an employee of Mr Sethi. No attempt was made to verify their age or request identification.
Prior to the sale in November 2024, Trading Standards had provided Mr Sethi with advice, support and information directly relating to underage sales on 3 separate occasions.
As well as the fine and costs, Mr Sethi was also ordered to pay a £200 victim surcharge.
Our Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, Councillor Dawn Abbott, said:
“Our trading standards team brought this prosecution to try and protect young people from the harm that vapes pose.
“Vapes are a potential health risk, and the law is clear that vapes and similar nicotine-containing products must not be supplied to young people.
“Although vapes can be a tool to help existing smokers quit, we are seeing large numbers of young people taking up vaping, potentially leading to a lifetime of addiction.
“We hope that the fines that the court imposed will be a strong deterrent to any retailer that are tempted to sell vapes to young people.”
People wanting to report any suspicions of the sale of vapes to underage people or supply of illicit vapes should report them to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline telephone: 0808 223 11 33 or Crimestoppers telephone: 0800 555 111.