A planned operation by Barking and Dagenham Council’s Trading Standard’s Service has resulted in more than 500 illicit disposable vapes being confiscated from two local shops.

On Wednesday 2 November, officers visited the shops and found them selling vape products that didn’t comply with the requirements of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

Some of the requirements of the regulations include:

• Vaping devices and liquids must be supplied with an information leaflet with prescribed safety instructions, warnings, and UK based contact details.

• The leaflet must include a statement that the product is not recommended for use by young people and non-smokers.

• Liquid containing nicotine presented for sale must be in a dedicated refill container with a maximum 10ml volume or a disposable electronic cigarette, a single use cartridge, or a tank, in a volume not exceeding 2 millilitres.

• The front and back of each pack (as presented for retail sale) must be labelled stating that: 'This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance’ in black Helvetica bold type font on a white background which must cover 30% of both the front and back surfaces, no other languages are permitted.

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Local businesses have a responsibility to sell products that are safe for use by our residents. These two shops did not follow the UK regulations and are potentially putting people at risk.

“Seizures like this show why the work of our Trading Standard’s officers is so important, and they continue to do fantastic work to protect our residents.”

Both shops will be given written warnings and will continue to be monitored by council officers. If they carry on selling these products, they could face further prosecution.

If residents are aware of shops selling products illegally, they should email tradingstandards@lbbd.gov.uk.