An ice cream van proprietor and his employee have been found guilty and fined a total of £1,130 for selling cigarettes to children.

Torfaen trading standards had received a number of complaints that children as young as 11 years old were being sold cigarettes from this van in the Pontypool area.

A number of test purchases were carried out using 14 and 15-year-old volunteers to see how easy it was to buy cigarettes from and on three different occasions they were never challenged as to their age or asked for photographic identification.

James Fisher, from Cardiff, who rents a ‘Signor Rossi’ ice cream van and his employee Mark Gabriel from Hengoed were fined £1,130 by Cwmbran Magistrates in relation to these offences.

The executive member for housing and public protection, councillor Gwyneira Clark, stated:

“This case should serve as a warning to businesses in Torfaen that we are constantly on the lookout for illegal sales of cigarettes and we will take action against anyone we catch in the act.

“We’re determined to protect the health of our young people, and stopping businesses selling cigarettes to underage people is a big part of this.

“The sentence shows how seriously the courts view these sales and this should serve as an example to others who might break the law and risk children’s health.

“Selling one packet of cigarettes to a child, which might have made him less than £1 profit, has now landed these traders with a £1,130 bill and a criminal record.”

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