AN EMPLOYEE at a town centre convenience store has been fined over £2,000 for selling illegal cigarettes.

Abbas Hamad Mashkoye, who worked at Spizarnia on Legh Street, was found to have 280 packs of illegal cigarettes and six pouches of illegal tobacco in the boot of his car during a Trading Standards visit to the shop.

The Rochdale resident was found guilty of seven charges relating to the illicit tobacco at Warrington Magistrates Court on November 25 and was fined a total of £2,312.

Pete Astley, assistant director for regulation and public protection at Warrington Borough Council, said: “It’s so important that residents report any suspicions about the sale of illicit goods so we can stamp out this trade.

“We were able to catch and prosecute this seller through excellent an partnership working with Cheshire Police and we will continue to identify more and more of these individuals.

“All tobacco is harmful but illicit cigarettes seriously undermine our drive to reduce smoking, fuel organised criminality and are often a gateway for our young people to be addicted to the habit which prematurely kills over half its users.

“We will do whatever we can to eradicate this trade so that those selling illegal tobacco and cigarettes will never feel safe from detection.”