A Hayes shopkeeper has been prosecuted for selling unsafe goods and putting residents’ lives in danger following an investigation by Hillingdon Council’s trading standards team.
Amarjeet Singh, director of AG Food and Wine Limited trading as Master News, in Hayes, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 5 March to 31 offences and was ordered to pay more than £4,400 for selling unsafe cosmetics and electrical products.
The council’s investigation found 12 non-compliant henna hair dye products in the shop (in breach of the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013). A purchase invoice showed that Singh had imported more than 1,900 of these products. The dye had inadequate labelling, including an incorrect ingredients list, no durability date, insufficient instructions for safe use and no product information file which should contain information showing the product has undergone safety assessments.
The court found that Singh had failed to follow previous instructions to destroy the goods.
The search of the business also uncovered 32 unsafe electrical products on sale (in breach of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016) with non-British standard plugs and faulty wiring with the potential to cause electric shocks or fires.
Both the cosmetics and electrical products did not have the name and address of the UK importer or distributor which is a requirement in the regulations.
In total, Singh was ordered to pay £4,463 which included an individual fine of £601, a surcharge of £240 and costs of £2,000. The trading company was ordered to pay a fine of £602, a surcharge of £240 and £781 costs, totalling £1,623.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services said: “We’re committed to keeping Hillingdon a safe borough where communities can thrive and we have always been clear that we will not tolerate reckless traders that blatantly ignore rules and regulations, putting residents at risk.
“These products were dangerous and could have caused real harm. The successful prosecution is testament to our trading standards and legal teams and the investigation they carried out.”
