A Nottingham butcher who planned to sell over £3,000 worth of illegal cigarettes and tobacco has been ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work by magistrates.
John Hogg, aged 63, of Nottingham Road, Nuthall, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates Court today (Friday 9 November) after Nottingham City Trading Standards Officers inspected Hoggs Butchers on Woodside Road, Nottingham in August.
They found 141 packets of cigarettes and 43 packets of hand rolling tobacco in the kitchen area. All were found to be either counterfeit or unsafe foreign labelled products with a combined retail value of £3,133.19.
Mr Hogg pleaded guilty to charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. He received an order to do 120 hours of unpaid work and must pay £736 council costs and a government surcharge of £85.
This is Mr Hogg’s second offence in relation to illegal tobacco. Mr Hogg was landed with a legal bill of over £11,000 after being found guilty of tobacco-related offences at Nottingham Crown Court in 2013.
Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, Cllr Toby Neal, said: “Nottingham City Trading Standards take a proactive approach to combating the sale and distribution of illicit and counterfeit tobacco products throughout the city, working alongside Nottinghamshire Police and acting on local intelligence.”
Jane Bailey, Trading Standards Manager for Community Protection said: “A major concern is that because the trade of counterfeit and illicit tobacco is unregulated there is no control over what is mixed with the tobacco. We urge anyone who has any information about somebody selling cheap cigarettes and tobacco to report this to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”