(Image: North Yorkshire Council)
A SHOP owner in a North Yorkshire coastal town has been fined after an investigation found illegal cigarettes and vaping products for sale.
Eastern European Mini Market Ltd and its director, Ersilia Loredana Oltean, both of Ramshill Road, Scarborough, were prosecuted at York Magistrates' Court.
North Yorkshire Council’s trading standards officers found that cigarettes sold in October 2024 and March 2025 did not carry the required health warnings or standardised packaging.
In November 2024, officers also discovered 142 vaping products that exceeded the legal two-millilitre limit for nicotine-containing liquid and were not properly packaged or labelled.
Ersilia Loredana Oltean of Ramshill Road in Scarborough was fined £800 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £320 and prosecution costs of £2,183, bringing the total to £3,303.
The company was fined £100 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £40.
Councillor Richard Foster, North Yorkshire Council executive member for managing the environment including trading standards, said: "This successful prosecution sends a clear message that businesses selling illegal tobacco and non-compliant vaping products can expect robust enforcement action.
"The law requiring health warnings and standardised packaging for cigarettes, along with restrictions on the size and labelling of vaping products, is designed to protect consumers and support public health."
Vapes found at the shop contained between 3,500 and 7,000 puffs.
A 7,000-puff vape can deliver a similar nicotine intake to around 23 packets of 20 cigarettes.
Cllr Foster said: "We know residents are concerned about the availability of illegal tobacco and vapes in their communities, and trading standards officers will continue to investigate reports and take action where offences are identified."