Southall Shopkeeper Found to Be Dangerously Storing Fireworks
Ignored restrictions on having more powerful types on his premises
Court was told there was a risk of an explosion at Alpha Digital Systems on Lady Margaret Road
October 26, 2026
A Southall shopkeeper has been fined after storing and selling fireworks in a way that posed a serious risk to customers, staff and residents living in flats above the premises.
Abdullah Hassan, of Lilly Green Lane in Redditch, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 20 October, where he pleaded guilty to offences relating to the storage of fireworks at Alpha Digital Systems on Lady Margaret Road. Magistrates were told the offences were significant enough that a prison sentence was possible. He instead received a 12-month community order requiring 200 hours of unpaid work, along with a £769 fine, £2,000 in court costs and a £308 victim surcharge — a total of £3,077.
Trading standards officers from Ealing Council inspected the shop in October 2025, shortly after the business had been granted a licence to store up to 75 kilos of fireworks. The licence was intended to limit the amount and type of fireworks kept on site to reduce the risk of fire or explosion. During the inspection, officers found 97 kilos of fireworks, including more powerful types not covered by the licence.
Fireworks were being stored throughout the shop, including in areas accessible to the public, and many were not stored securely. The court heard that people live in flats above the shop, and the way the fireworks were kept created a serious risk to employees, residents and the wider public.
Five days after the inspection, a 15-year-old volunteer taking part in a trading standards test purchase operation was sold fireworks at the shop without being asked for identification. Officers had warned the business about underage sales during the earlier visit. It is illegal to sell most fireworks to anyone under 18.
In separate proceedings on 18 August, also at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, Hassan’s father, Asif Hassan, of Lady Margaret Road, pleaded guilty to selling fireworks to a person under 18. He was fined £492 and ordered to pay a £197 victim surcharge, totalling £689.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, cabinet member for decent living incomes, said the case highlighted serious failings. “Residents have a right to expect businesses storing and selling fireworks to follow the law and put safety first,” she said. “This case involved serious risks for local people, including families living above the shop, and resulted in fireworks being sold to a child. We will continue to take the strongest possible action against businesses that put people at risk.”
Residents planning to buy fireworks are advised to purchase only from reputable traders and check that products carry the correct UK safety markings. Fireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am, except on specific dates including Bonfire Night (midnight cut-off), Diwali, New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year (1am cut-off).
Noise or nuisance from fireworks that may breach curfew laws should be reported to the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Persistent noise issues can also be reported to Ealing Council’s noise and nuisance service.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |