Illicit tobacco found hidden in shop chair
OVERSIZED VAPES SEIZED BY TRADING STANDARDS
A RECENTLY opened small convenience shop in Barton-upon-Humber had illicit tobacco hidden in a chair. Residents and businesses raised concerns within days of One Shop Mini Market’s opening that it was selling illicit tobacco and under 18-year-olds were able to buy e-cigarettes.
On inspection, North Lincolnshire Trading Standards and Humberside Police found oversized vapes and illicit tobacco hidden in the seat cushion of a chair. Forty-seven e-cigarettes, 34 packets of illicit cigarettes and 13 packets of hand rolling tobacco were seized from the small shop. The oversized vapes discovered had tank capacity ranging from 4.5mls to 18mls on the shelf. Their legal limit is 2mls. Enquiries remain ongoing, but it is hoped the early intervention will stop this type of activity from continuing.
North Lincolnshire Cllr Carl Sherwood, cabinet member for safer, stronger, communities (rural), thanked the police and Trading Standards officers for their speedy intervention.
“There has been a concerning rise in the number of children using vapes, and we are determined to come down hard on unscrupulous traders. Illicit vapes can cause serious health issues and the fact they are being sold to youngsters is even more worrying. “This sort of activity will not be tolerated within our communities and our children must be protected.” Tens of thousands of illicit vapes have been intercepted at Killingholme port, and thousands more seized from shops.
Trading Standards have written hundreds of advisory and warning letters to premises about the law on vapes.
Selling vapes to under-18s can result in 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/or up to two years’ imprisonment per offence. The council has recently used undercover teen ops to catch out premises selling vapes to under-18s. A 15-year-old mystery shopper was able recently to buy vapes from three North Lincolnshire shops. Neighbouring North East Lincolnshire had its greatest haul of illegal cigarettes and tobacco, worth £277,000, discovered in Healing in November 2021.
A landmark Proceeds of Court Act was ordered in February against one of the two offenders. The council was awarded about £100,000 in benefits costs.
This is not the only time in the past two years that residents’ concerns have resulted in the discovery of illicit tobacco and vapes. Claims of underage selling of the products led to police and Trading Standards discovering in 2022 a haul in a Crowle shop within hidden compartments.
Individuals who want to report the sale of vapes to under-18s, or the sale of non-compliant vapes, are advised to email trading.standards@ northlincs.gov.uk