A shop owner in Aldershot, Hampshire, and his company have been ordered to pay more than £16,000 after selling an illegal vape to a 15-year-old and stocking hundreds of illicit products. On 20 March 2026, Amit Shrestha, 30, was sentenced at North Hampshire Magistrates’ Court in Basingstoke following an investigation by the local council.
The case began in June 2024 when a child volunteer working with Hampshire County Council bought a nicotine vape from the store without any age or identity checks. During a follow-up visit in August 2024, officers discovered more than 500 illegal vapes on the business premises, with 300 of those items already out on display for sale.
Mr Shrestha, who lives in Porter Close, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to selling the nicotine product to a minor and possessing the unauthorised stock. He was ordered to pay £1,260 personally, while his business, HX Retail Group Limited, must pay a further £14,780 within 28 days for the violations.
This prosecution is part of a wider effort to stop the sale of dangerous products to young people, as it is illegal to sell nicotine vapes to anyone under the age of 18 in the UK. According to the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), roughly 7 per cent of 11-17-year-olds in Great Britain were regular vapers by 2025.
Last year, the council team seized a record 116,000 illegal vapes and tobacco products across the county, which were valued at approximately £138,000. Councillor Kirsty North said the council remains committed to protecting residents from shops that choose to put their profits before the safety of the public.
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