Oxford man fined over £2,000 for shisha tobacco offences
Trading standards prosecution leads to significant penalties for local shisha operator
An Oxford man has been ordered to pay over £2,000 in fines, costs, and charges, following his guilty plea to multiple tobacco-related offences.
Sami Shridi, aged 47, from Marshall Road, Oxford, was prosecuted at Reading Magistrates' Court on 24th July.
The court imposed fines of £506, a victim surcharge of £202, and prosecution costs totalling £1,625, taking the overall sum payable to £2,333.
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of all seized tobacco products.
The investigation by Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards team led to the prosecution after an inspection of the Thirst Bar’s garden area on Park End Street, Oxford, where Shridi operated his shisha business.
In March 2025, officers seized over eight kilograms of illegal shisha tobacco that did not comply with packaging requirements and was non-duty paid.
The tobacco containers lacked the legally required health warnings and referred to flavours, contravening tobacco legislation.
Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities said: "Tobacco products are heavily regulated for good reason.
"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 further revealed that social media posts from Thirst Bar were promoting tobacco products, an action banned in the UK for several years.
Trading standards had previously advised Shridi, both in writing and face-to-face, on compliance with tobacco legislation following prior seizures in 2019 and 2020.
Davina Walkin, Oxfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards Operations Manager said: “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."