Westminster shop director admits selling unsafe Guida Christmas lights
Abdul Hamidi of Great Value Store pleaded guilty to six safety offences after trading standards seized 33 sets of hazardous lights
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A Queensway shop director has admitted selling Christmas lights that trading standards officers say could have started fires or given electric shocks. Abdul Hamidi, who runs Great Value Store, pleaded guilty to six offences under electrical safety laws at Westminster magistrates on 3 August 2026.
Westminster City Council officers took away 33 sets of Guida-brand string lights and 26 travel or USB adaptors after tests showed the products were poorly built. The council said the lights had live parts that were easy to touch, creating a risk of electrocution for anyone decorating a tree.
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What the council found
The lights were sold for about £10 a set. Officers described the charging base as flimsy, with parts that could become live if touched. Testing confirmed the lights posed both a fire hazard and a risk of electric shock.
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Councillor Caroline Sargent, Westminster City Council deputy leader and cabinet member for enforcement, said the lights were so badly made that they could have turned a festive decoration into a danger. She added that bargains that seem too good to be true often are, and that the council would continue to check that products sold in Westminster are safe.
Anyone buying these Christmas decorations could find their home lit up in more ways than the obvious.
Cllr Caroline Sargent, Westminster City Council deputy leader
What happens next
The case was adjourned for reports and sentencing is set for 19 August 2026. Westminster City Council has not yet said whether it will issue a recall notice for the lights already sold. Residents who bought Guida Christmas lights from Great Value Store are advised to stop using them immediately and return them to the shop.
The council has not confirmed how many of the 33 sets had already been sold. It is also unclear whether the USB adaptors seized were tested or whether they posed similar risks.
Questions this report answers
+What was wrong with the Christmas lights?
The Guida Christmas lights had accessible live parts due to a flimsy charging base, creating risks of electric shock and fire. Westminster City Council testing confirmed these hazards, leading to their seizure from a Queensway store.
+Who is responsible for selling the unsafe lights?
Abdul Hamidi, director of Great Value Store on Queensway, admitted six offences under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. He will be sentenced at Westminster magistrates on 19 August 2026.
+What should I do if I bought these lights?
Residents who purchased Guida Christmas lights from Great Value Store should stop using them immediately. The council advises returning the lights to the store, though no formal recall has been announced yet.
+When will the shop director be sentenced?
Abdul Hamidi will be sentenced on 19 August 2026. The case was adjourned for reports after he pleaded guilty to six safety offences at Westminster magistrates on 3 August 2026.
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