More than 2,500 illegal vapes seized at shop

More than 2,500 vapes that contained too much nicotine have been seized at a shop.

They were found in a storeroom in Ipswich by Suffolk Trading Standards after a test purchase.

It said the shop would not be named while investigations were still under way.

The vapes were deemed illegal as they supplied more than the 600 puffs allowed under tobacco rules, external and could be unsafe.

Head of Suffolk Trading Standards Graham Crisp said: "Businesses who break those regulations can expect tough penalties.

"We will continue to carry out checks on retailers across Suffolk, taking legal action where necessary."

Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for public health, said: "Illegal devices such as these are nothing to do with helping people quit smoking, instead they exacerbate the problem of inappropriate vaping."

The use of vapes and e-cigarettes has grown in popularity over the past decade.

A survey by charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) suggested that 20.5% of children in Great Britain had tried vaping this year, external, up from 15.8% in 2022.

In April, the government announced a new £3m enforcement squad, led by Trading Standards, to crack down on the illegal sale of vapes to children.

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