Officers from Barrow’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) have seized a significant quantity of illegal disposable vapes and other prohibited products from a town centre shop during an enforcement visit.
The action on 7 August followed a licensing inspection in which officers found the items concealed within the premises, deliberately hidden from public view and not advertised for sale. The seizure comes just two months after the nationwide ban on selling single-use vapes came into effect on 1 June 2025.
Sergeant Paul Holmes of Barrow NPT said: “These illegal products don’t just flout regulations, they also pose a health and safety risk to our communities. As a result of the seizure, there is one less stash on the streets in Barrow. We remain committed to tackling the sale of illegal goods and protecting the wellbeing of our residents.”
Following the police action, Westmorland and Furness Trading Standards revisited the business the next day and discovered further disposable vapes openly on sale. The products were confiscated and an investigation is ongoing.
“Westmorland and Furness residents are reminded that if they see any single-use vapes on sale in shops, or they believe a business is selling unregulated products, they can report this to Trading Standards by calling Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.”
The Barrow seizures follow other high-profile enforcement actions targeting illicit vape sales, including recent Birmingham raids in which 1,666 illegal vapes were recovered in a single day.