Belfast Shop Owner Fined For Selling Vapes To Child

A Belfast shop owner has been found guilty of illegally selling a "nicotine inhaling product" to a child. The case, brought by Belfast City Council against Mr Michael O'Reilly of O'Reilly's on Donegall Street, was heard at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 10th June 2025.

The prosecution stemmed from a test purchase operation organised by Belfast City Council officers, which confirmed that Mr O'Reilly sold a nicotine inhaling product to an individual under the age of 18.

Under the Tobacco Retailers Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, it is a criminal offence for retailers to sell either tobacco products or nicotine inhaling products, which include e-cigarettes and vapes, to anyone under 18 years old.

As a result of previous infringements, O'Reilly's shop is already subject to an 18-month Restricted Premises Order. Furthermore, Mr O'Reilly himself is currently under an 18-month Restricted Sales Order, which prohibits him from selling both tobacco and nicotine inhaling products.

For this latest offence, Mr O'Reilly was fined £1200 and ordered to pay costs of £78.

Belfast City Council encourages anyone with concerns or information regarding illegal or underage sales of tobacco or nicotine inhaling products to report it to their Tobacco Control Team on 028 9027 0428.

Ballymena Disorder Highlights Urgent Need for PSNI Funding – DUP

DUP leader Gavin Robinson has stated that the recent scenes of violence and disorder in Ballymena underscore the critical need for additional resources to be allocated to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The town has experienced two consecutive nights of unrest, which saw police officers come under sustained attack and properties damaged.

Mr Robinson expressed his condemnation of the violence: "Everyone will be appalled at the scenes of violence in Ballymena, including the vast majority who attended the respectful and peaceful vigil last night. There is no place for thuggery or intimidation in our society." He echoed calls for the justice system to be allowed to take its course in relation to the incidents.

Highlighting the front-line role of the PSNI during such disorder, Mr Robinson reaffirmed his support for Chief Constable Jon Boutcher's previous appeals for increased funding. "Once again when there is disorder, it is the PSNI who are on the front-line attempting to protect lives and property," he said. "The Chief Constable has been frank in his assessment of the funding pressures facing the PSNI, and I have been resolute in my support for his call for additional resources. The DUP will continue to advocate for adequate and sustainable funding for policing in Northern Ireland."

The DUP leader stressed that Chief Constable Boutcher has previously raised his concerns directly with the Prime Minister, making it "incumbent upon the Government to ensure the PSNI can protect the people of Northern Ireland."

Mr Robinson warned of the impact of prolonged underfunding, stating: "It can be no surprise to anyone that chronic underfunding has real world consequences, and there is an undeniable need to recruit more police officers." He acknowledged that reversing years of neglect to policing budgets cannot happen overnight, but insisted there "must be recognition in government of those pressures and a meaningful intervention to assist."

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has repeatedly voiced concerns about the PSNI's financial state, describing it as "critically underfunded" and operating with officer numbers at a historic low. He has argued that the current resourcing levels are "dangerous" and impact the force's ability to protect the public, manage high-risk offenders, and investigate serious crimes. The Chief Constable recently confirmed plans to activate mutual aid resources to address the current public order challenges.