Hove trader sentenced for selling not-so-golden Virginia – Brighton and Hove News

A Hove trader has been fined and ordered to do 240 hours of unpaid work after admitting selling alcohol to a child and stockpiling fake cigarettes and oversized vapes.

Alan Brosk, 37, of Poplar Avenue, Hangleton, also admitted selling counterfeit Golden Virginia tobacco as well as fake Richmond and Benson and Hedges cigarettes.

Brosk, the sole manager of the K&K Station Store, in Station Parade, South Street, Lancing, was sentenced to a community order – 240 hours over 12 months – at Worthing Magistrates' Court.

West Sussex County Council said: “A Lancing trader was given a 12-month community order requiring him to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work, after pleading guilty to a series of alcohol-related offenses and tobacco.

The council bringing the case said Brosk appeared in court on Thursday, May 16, and admitted a series of alcohol and tobacco offenses.

The council said: “He faced various charges of selling alcohol to a child and selling counterfeit and illicit tobacco products and oversized vapes.

“Mr Brosk was also ordered to pay fines totaling almost £5,000, a victim surcharge of £114 and full prosecution costs of £3,060.

Duncan Crow, the council's cabinet member for community support, said: “This result sends a clear message that we can and will take action to tackle businesses selling alcohol to children or selling illegal vapes and fake tobacco.

“I hope this will act as a deterrent to other businesses in West Sussex who continue to sell alcohol and vapes to children.”

Brosk's liquor license had already been revoked in February last year by the Adur District Council's licensing subcommittee.

All seized illicit tobacco and vapes have been ordered to be destroyed.

The council said: “This prosecution follows a series of inspections earlier this month in Worthing, Shoreham and Lancing as part of a joint initiative between National Trading Standards and HMRC called Operation Ce Ce.

“The inspections involved West Sussex Trading Standards working with Sussex Police, immigration officers, tobacco detection dogs and regional tobacco trading standards experts.

“The team visited six premises and more than 24,000 sticks of suspected illegal tobacco, 95 packets of suspected illicit hand-rolling tobacco, 561 illegal e-cigarettes, more than 80 non-compliant nicotine pods and 18 Apple branded products suspected of being counterfeit were seized.

“West Sussex trading standards officers are acting locally as part of a wider strategy which tackles three 'tiers' of crime, with illegal overseas factories shut down by HMRC and Border Force intercepting contraband goods and cash at the UK border.

“In the last financial year, almost £12 million (£11,983,479) worth of illegal tobacco products were seized nationally under Trading Standards as part of Operation Ce Ce .

“Anyone concerned about illegal sales or counterfeit products can make a report online to Trading Standards at www.westsussex.gov.uk/TradingStandards. »