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Call to restrict vape shops opening near historic buldings
The vape shop, unregistered and with unpaid business rates, sparked a fire that damaged a historic building and closed Glasgow Central Station, raising enforcement concerns.
- A vape-shop fire on Union Street ignited just after 4pm on Sunday, March 8, 2026, ripping through Forsyth House and forcing Glasgow Central Station to close as over 200 firefighters battled the blaze.
- Council figures indicate the shop was not registered and had unpaid rates; Junaid Retail Limited, trading as Scot's World and directed by Ahsan Ali, was reportedly sold two weeks ago, conflicting with Ajaz Sarwar's ownership claim.
- Witnesses described attempts to tackle the blaze and loud explosions as Lamin Kongira and Callum Robertson struggled without extinguishers; Robertson said, 'I was worried about the people up top because there are flats above it.'
- Investigators have opened a multi-agency probe into the cause, and Glasgow leaders including Susan Aitken have urged new rules on battery storage and vape licensing once the probe concludes.
- SAA records show the property listed as vacant on March 10, 2026, while Empty Property Relief rules and cuts to local trading standards teams have widened enforcement gaps exploited by pop-up retailers.
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11 Articles
Revealed: company behind vape shop fire had not paid business rates...or registered to sell vapes
A Ferret investigation has found there was no registration to sell vapes at the Union Street premises in Glasgow where a major fire started - and we can reveal the name of the company behind the shop.
·Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left5Leaning Right1Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution72% Left
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources lean Left
72% Left
L 72%
14%
14%
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