Sunninghill business fined for breaching UK tobacco packaging regulations

A business in Sunninghill has been fined thousands after 3,800 cigarettes were found which did not comply with UK packaging legislation.

J&B Stores Ltd, trading as Sunninghill Wines in Sunninghill Road, was also found to have 11 packets of cigars and 14 tubs of shisha which failed to comply.

The items were found during inspections by the council’s Trading Standards officers at various shops with the help of tobacco sniffer dog Yoyo.

The products could not be legally sold in the UK as they did not display the UK duty stamp.

The items were also non-compliant with UK tobacco regulations as the wording on the products was in Polish, so did not feature the correct information and warnings that are required under UK regulations.

The director of the company, Bhajan Khaneja of High Street in Sunninghill appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday, October 6 where he pleaded guilty to four charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 and Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

The business also admitted to six charges under the same regulations.

The company was fined £2,000, with a victim surcharge of £190.

Khaneja was fined £1,000, with a victim surcharge of £190.

The council’s costs of £3,815 were also ordered to be paid in full and the court also granted the council a destruction order for the tobacco products.

Greg Nelson, the council’s Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, said: “These fines clearly show that the court agreed with our view that these were serious matters, which undermined fair and legal trading in the Royal Borough and allowed tobacco products which did not have the correct labelling and warnings to be sold.”

Councillor Simon Werner, the council leader and cabinet member for community partnerships, public protection and Maidenhead, said: “I’d like to congratulate our Trading Standards team for their hard work and for securing this positive result. This successful prosecution demonstrates the council’s commitment to protecting its residents, as well as businesses who sell legitimate products.

“The team will continue to carry out checks across our borough to help ensure all products being sold are legitimate and to give us the best possible chance of seizing and, ultimately, preventing these items from reaching consumers, taking robust action where necessary.”