Warrington MM Company Limited, located at 45 Lovely Lane, Warrington, WA5 1NB, was found to be selling non-compliant vape products with e-liquid volumes ranging from 10ml to 12ml—far exceeding the legal limit of 2ml.

Public Protection Officers discovered the illegal products during a compliance visit in October 2024. Despite having previously received advice on vape regulations, the business continued to stock and sell items that breached UK law.

All seized vapes featured oversized tanks and lacked essential packaging information, including UK importer or manufacturer details, as required under The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. One brand also failed to meet the required size for health warnings, and none of the products had been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Mr Muhammad Usman Zubari, Director of the company, pleaded guilty to the offences. Warrington Magistrates imposed a total financial penalty of £1,229, comprising a £521 fine, £208 victim surcharge, and £500 in costs. The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the illegal products.

Cllr John Kerr-Brown, Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Licensing, said: “Retailers have a duty to make sure the products they sell comply with UK regulations. We are keen to work with all retailers to ensure the products they sell comply with the law. We would encourage all retailers to ensure they only source such products from a reputable supplier, and to familiarise themselves with the regulations.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners to tackle the issue and remove illegal products from the marketplace when we find them.”

Anyone concerned that they have been sold non-compliant or counterfeit vapes is encouraged to contact the Public Protection team by calling 03453 040506 or emailing environmental.health@warrington.gov.uk.