Cocker spaniel detection dog sitting in front of bags of illegal vapes

More than 1,400 illegal vapes have been seized by Nottinghamshire County Council's Trading Standards team from two shops in Newark.

Officers visited the premises with a specialist tobacco and vape detection dog and discovered 1,437 illegal vapes that are estimated to be worth £18,861.

The vapes that were confiscated during the raids were all discovered to have tank sizes of between 10ml and 25ml, making them 5 to 12.5 times the legal limit of 2ml, which is the equivalent of approximately 600 puffs.

When officers visited the premises to carry out their inspections, they discovered that the vapes were being displayed openly on shelves, giving the appearance that they were legal, meaning that members of the public could unwittingly purchase an illegal product that is far more dangerous to their health than they realise.

Shop owners selling vapes are urged to check that they are not selling any vapes with a tank size over 2ml as they will be breaking the law if they are.

Councillor Gordon Wheeler, Deputy Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Unfortunately, businesses are sometimes tempted to sell non-compliant vapes and illegal tobacco products with little regard for the impact on their customers’ health. Not only are these items dangerous to people’s health but they also harm the local economy, as the sellers often undercut legitimate traders and avoid paying tax to fund vital public services.

“Seizing almost 1,500 illegal vapes and taking them off the market is an excellent result for our officers. These raids send a strong message to traders that we will not tolerate the sale of illegal vapes or illegal tobacco in our community. Our officers will continue to take action to stop illegal trading and make our communities safer.”

If residents see any tobacco products or vapes being sold to people who they believe are under 18, or they believe a business is selling unregulated products, they can report this to Trading Standards by contacting the Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.