A shop in West Derby has had its licence revoked by the courts after it was found to be selling illicit vapes.
Liverpool City Council’s Alcohol and Tobacco Unit started to investigate Booze Butler on Queens Drive after they suspected that the store was selling unregulated vapes.
An inspection by the team found a large quantity of vapes concealed inside the shop, with a market value of £3,500.
After the owner of the store ignored warning letters about the illicit sales, the Council successfully applied for a closure order through Liverpool Magistrates Court.
However, when the closure notice was issued to the shop, the sole staff member on duty was found to have no right to work in the UK.
Now, the shop has been stripped of its licence in order to prevent further criminal activity.
Unregulated vapes could contain banned ingredients and may post a serious health risk to anyone using them. Rules around the sale of vapes are set out in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
E-cigarette tanks must have a capacity of no more than 2ml, while refill containers are restricted to a volume of 10ml.
Additionally, e-liquids are restricted to a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml.
Since June this year, it is also illegal for businesses to sell disposable vapes under The Environmental Protection (Single-Use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024.
In the past financial year, the Council has seized over 32,000 illicit vapes and cigarettes from businesses, with a combined value of £378,000.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said: “The regulations around the sale of vapes have been put in place to keep people safe from potentially dangerous ingredients.
“We will always investigate businesses that are found to be ignoring these regulations and will continue to remove illicit vapes from the market to prevent them from harming individuals.
“During our investigations, we found further breaches of the law, which are entirely unacceptable. We hope this sends a message to other businesses that we will do what is necessary to keep our communities safe.
“Vapes can be a helpful alternative to smoking, but they should always be purchased from a reputable retailer.”
