A Southall convenience store operator selling fireworks has been fined for putting at risk the safety of customers, staff, and people living in flats above the shop.
According to local reports, Abdullah Hassan pleaded guilty to offences relating to the storage of fireworks at his shop, Alpha Digital Systems in Lady Margaret Road.
He was given a 12-month community order requiring him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also fined £769 and ordered to pay £2,000 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £308, a total of £3,077.
Magistrates were told that Ealing trading standards officers inspected the shop in October 2025 after the business had been granted a licence to store up to 75 kilos of fireworks.
The licence limited the amount of fireworks that could be stored there, to help keep people safe in the event of an emergency. However, during the inspection, officers found 97 kilos of fireworks on site, including more powerful fireworks that were not covered by the licence.
The were being stored throughout the shop, including in areas accessible to the public. Officers found that many of the fireworks were not being stored securely and safely. As people live in flats above the shop, the court heard that the way the fireworks were stored created a serious risk of fire or explosion.
Five days after the inspection, a 15-year-old volunteer, acting as part of a trading standards test purchase operation, was sold fireworks at the shop without being challenged about his age.
The sale took place despite officers warning the business about under-age sales during the previous inspection. It is illegal to sell most fireworks to anyone under the age of 18.
Cllr Kamaljit Nagpal, cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: "Residents have a right to expect businesses storing and selling fireworks to follow the law and put safety first.
"This case involved serious failings that created risks for local people, including families living above the shop, and resulted in fireworks being sold to a child."
Fireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am, except on certain dates, including Bonfire Night, when the cut-off is midnight, and Diwali, New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year, when they can be used until 1am.