Thousands of illegal vapes seized at Humber port

North Lincolnshire Council uses underage volunteers to try and buy vapes from shops

Trading standards officers have intercepted "tens of thousands of illicit vapes" at a Humber port.

North Lincolnshire Council said it had seized around 320,000 illegal e-cigarettes worth £2.5m since 2022.

It said that the smoking devices were regularly intercepted at Killingholme port and thousands more were found in shops.

The authority uses underage volunteers who attempt to buy vapes from stores.

In the latest operation they used a 15-year-old who visited 10 premises.

The stores were chosen following intelligence and tip-offs from members of the public.

Of the 10 attempts, three were successful. And in all three cases the vapes sold were also illegal in the UK, meaning they did not comply with safety legislation.

The council said it would be taking enforcement action against the shops that broke the law and letters would be sent to the businesses that did not sell to the 15-year-old "praising them for their diligence".

The council said it had seized "tens of thousands of illicit vapes" at Killingholme port

Councillor John Davison described the sale of vapes to children as "unacceptable".

"These illicit vapes can cause serious health issues and the fact they are being sold to youngsters is even more concerning," he said.

"While vaping can be a useful way for smokers to quit, it is important that non-smokers are not encouraged to start.

"There has been a worrying rise in the number of children using vapes, and we are determined to come down hard on unscrupulous traders. Our children must be protected."

The penalties for selling vapes to under 18s can be a fine of up to £2,500 per offence.

For the sale or possession of illicit vapes, the penalty can be an unlimited fine and up to two years imprisonment or each offence.