Oxford businessman fined over £2,000 in Trading Standards prosecution

Sami Shridi of Marshall Road pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday, July 24, to offences under tobacco legislation relating to waterpipe products, commonly known as shisha.

The court imposed fines totalling £506, a victim surcharge of £202 and prosecution costs of £1,625, making a total of £2,333 payable by the 47-year-old.

It also ordered the forfeiture of all seized tobacco products, following an investigation by Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards team.

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Photos of the business in Oxford. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

The prosecution followed an inspection of Thirst Bar, Park End Street, Oxford, where Mr Shridi operated a shisha business in the garden area.

During a visit in March of 2025, officers seized more than eight kilograms of illegal shisha tobacco, which failed to comply with legal packaging requirements and was non-duty paid.

Officers found containers of tobacco products that did not carry the required health warnings and referred to smells or flavourings, which is prohibited by law.

Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, said: “Tobacco products are heavily regulated for good reason.

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Photos of the business in Oxford. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

“Health warnings, prohibitions on flavours and restrictions on advertising all exist to protect public health and reduce the harm caused by smoking.

“These rules are there to protect people, and this case shows why it is important that businesses take their responsibilities seriously.”

The investigation also identified social media posts from the bar promoting tobacco products, which have been prohibited in the UK for many years as part of measures to reduce smoking and protect public health.

Trading standards had previously provided written and face-to-face advice to Mr Shridi on tobacco legislation and compliance following earlier seizures in 2019 and 2020.

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Davina Walkin, Oxfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards Operations Manager, added: “Businesses that choose to ignore these requirements gain an unfair advantage over those who comply with the law.

“We were particularly concerned that detailed advice had already been provided on the same issues, yet non-compliant products continued to be supplied and promoted.

“We will continue to investigate and take action where businesses fail to meet their legal responsibilities.”

Trading standards is responsible for enforcing a range of tobacco legislation, including laws relating to advertising, packaging and health warnings.

Anyone with information about the sale of illicit or non-compliant tobacco and nicotine products can report it anonymously by calling 0300 999 6 999.