A Barnsley resident has been prosecuted for selling illegal tobacco products in our town centre, showing how we will take necessary action to keep our communities safe.

Kevin Denton Fisher, 67, of Day Street, Barnsley was found to be selling illegal tobacco products from Chennells public house in May last year.

His activities initially came to the attention of South Yorkshire Police, who seized the illegal goods and passed them onto our Trading Standards team.

In February, Mr Fisher pleaded guilty in Barnsley Magistrates Court to multiple offences relating to supplying or selling illegal tobacco products.

The seized products did not comply with UK packaging regulations, relating to their colour and shade, and had inadequate health warnings.

Last Thursday (27 March), he was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge, meaning he could be re-sentenced and face further penalties if he commits any further offence during that period. Mr Fisher was also ordered to pay £776 for his offences, covering costs and the victim surcharge.

Councillor Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said: “Our teams are committed to tackling and preventing the sale of illegal tobacco in Barnsley, protecting the health and safety of our communities.

“While all tobacco poses significant health risks, these unregulated products can contain higher levels of harmful substances, meaning they could be even more dangerous to people’s health.

“This result is a fantastic example of how we will take action against anyone selling illegal tobacco in our borough and putting our communities at risk. I’d like to thank our Regulatory Services and Legal Services teams as well as South Yorkshire Police for their dedication to keeping our communities safe and making this prosecution possible.”

If you have any information about the sale of illegal tobacco products in Barnsley, please report it to our Regulatory Services team. You can do this by emailing RegulatoryServices@barnsley.gov.uk or calling 01226 773743.