South Ayrshire Council News

A second local business has pled guilty to selling age restricted products to young persons after a series of spot checks by South Ayrshire Council assisted by young volunteers.

Arif Malik, owner of the Costcutter store in Girvan was fined £300 at Ayr Sheriff Court on the 31st March after he pled guilty to selling a cigarette lighter refill butane gas canister to a 16 year old volunteer. This follows a guilty plea in an earlier case by James Crawford, who owns Seafield-Dowhill Stores in Ayr who had previously pled guilty to selling cigarettes to another 16 year old volunteer and was fined £270. Both products should only be sold to people over 18 years of age.

The guilty pleas and fines follow test purchasing by the Council to make sure local traders comply with the law on harmful underage products. The ongoing programme has led to over a hundred test purchases in the last year with just over 20% failing the tests by selling age restricted products such as tobacco, fireworks, butane lighter refill canisters and spray paint. to young volunteers.

David Thomson, South Ayrshire Council's Trading Standards Manager said: "We continue to work closely with local traders, providing advice and assistance in the first instance to help them and their staff comply with their legal responsibilities. This is backed up with numerous advice visits, system audit checks and then test purchasing to make sure traders are getting it right. Test purchasing has inbuilt fairness to those traders who are visited. Volunteers are at least a year and a half younger than the age restriction in question, they always look like an average person of that age and are honest about their age if asked.

"It's about raising standards of safety and health within the local community. A simple "No Proof – No Sale" policy, properly trained staff and correct procedures are what it takes to avoid underage sales. Unfortunately when a few don't follow these basic steps we are left with little option other than strong enforcement action to protect young people. Reporting sellers to the court for underage sales is the last resort for us."

He added: "Selling dangerous or unhealthy products to underage young people is irresponsible and illegal. Ash Scotland, who campaign against smoking, report that 24% of all deaths in Scotland are attributable to tobacco. The NHS in Scotland spends an estimated £140 million annually treating diseases caused by smoking. Solvents can be abused by some people, with some dying instantly the first time they try it."

Any trader who would like advice or assistance on underage sales should contact the Trading Standards Advice and Intervention Centre on 01292 616060 or to call in at 5-7 River Terrace Ayr.