Illegal vapes seized from High Street, Watford, shops

Officers from the community safety unit teamed up with three police cadets all under the age of 18 to test several shops in the high street on Thursday, September 21.

It is illegal to sell vape products to anyone under 18.

The illegal vapes seized by police. (Image: Hertfordshire Police)Police revealed today (September 28) that of the 15 premises the team visited, two of the shops failed to ask for ID when the three cadets purchased vape products.

Officers inspected the stock and seized a significant number of products that allegedly did not meet legal requirements.

Sergeant Karl Diggins, who organised the operation along with senior licensing officer Jo Tomkins, said: “The fact that our cadets were easily able to purchase [vapes] unchallenged is a real cause for concern.”

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No arrests have been made at the moment and the police are working with Hertfordshire Trading Standards.

The number of illegal vapes and the names of the shops could not be provided due to the ongoing investigation.

A Hertfordshire Trading Standards spokesperson said: “If any businesses are unclear about the regulations and their responsibilities, our Trading Standards team will be very happy to provide advice and support to help them operate in a safe and legal way.”