People and communities
Walsall town centre shops targeted during Neighbourhood Policing Week
Published on
Hundreds of illicit vapes were found in Town Centre swoop by Trading Standards and West Midlands Police.
On Thursday 26 January 2023, officers from Walsall Council Trading Standards worked together with the St Matthews neighbourhood policing team to target a number of town centre shops selling illegal goods.
The sting saw hundreds of illicit vapes seized, along with out-of-date food items that should not have been on sale.
“ I am continually shocked and appalled at the number of dangerous illegal vapes being sold in Walsall. They are a danger to people’s health and they are getting into the hands of children.
A big well done to the Trading Standards officers and West Midlands Police for their work in reducing the number of illegal goods being sold and clamping down on business owners. I hope this serves as a reminder that we have a high standard for those doing business in the Borough, and zero tolerance for people breaking the law and endangering our communities.
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“ We have an excellent working relationship with Walsall Council and we were only too happy to provide assistance to Trading Standards officers during this successful operation. “
In one town centre shop 352 illegal disposable vapes with a street value of around £4,400 were seized. Disposable vapes must contain 2% nicotine and have a 2ml e- liquid capacity, which equates to about 600 puffs. Some of the seized vapes had 10,000 puffs. The non-compliant vapes were hidden in drawers under the counter. Vapes such as these are often fruit flavoured and brightly coloured which makes them more attractive to children - even more reason to get them off the streets.
As well as seizing illegal goods, officers also provided advice to a number of shops, helping them to achieve compliance. This included reminders on the law prohibiting the sale of knives and vapes to under 18’s and providing advice on implementing a 'No ID No Sale' policy. Further guidance was also given to a shop selling foods without any English labelling.
Trading Standards and West Midlands Police work hard to ensure that Walsall businesses comply with the law, keeping communities safe from harmful illicit goods.
ENDS
