Shop Licence Revoked After 1,600 Illegal Vapes Found In East Grinstead Store

A convenience store in East Grinstead has had its premises licence revoked after more than 1,600 illegal single-use vapes were discovered during an inspection.

Trading Standards officers found 1,644 banned disposable vapes stored at Bodrum convenience store on London Road during a visit in November 2025.

The inspection also uncovered 16 packs of illicit cigarettes, 11 bottles of aftershave containing a prohibited ingredient, and a blocked fire exit obstructed by stock.

Licence Revoked By Council

Following the findings, Mid Sussex District Council’s licensing sub-committee voted on Monday (16 February) to revoke the store’s premises licence.

Peter Aston, from West Sussex Trading Standards, said the licence holder had shown “a total disregard for the law over a number of years”.

He added there was no confidence the business would comply with licensing rules in future, describing the breaches as repeated and serious.

History Of Previous Licensing Action

This is the third time the store has faced licensing action in less than three years.

In November 2023, its licence was suspended for six weeks after alcohol was sold to a child during a test purchase.

The alcohol licence was later revoked in January 2024.

That decision was appealed and resolved in April 2025, with the licence holder accepting a six-week suspension and paying costs.

Licence Holder Responds

The licence holder said the illicit cigarettes were for personal use and claimed he did not know how to dispose of the banned vapes.

He also denied allegations that vapes had been sold to children, while his representative described keeping the cigarettes at the premises as a “significant error in judgement”.

The licence holder now has 21 days to appeal the latest decision.