Over £500k worth of counterfeit vapes seized in Rotherham

A record number of illegal vapes have been recovered in Rotherham over last year raising concern among authorities.

According to South Yorkshire Police, the partnership work between Rotherham Central Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Council has resulted in £563,000 worth of counterfeit vapes being recovered in 2024.

After a store has been identified through local intelligence, our officers support the Council’s Trading Standards officers who use their powers to seize the vapes before overseeing the prosecution, the police stated on Sunday (5).

These products often contain contaminants which make them more harmful to a user’s health – failing to meet relevant safety standards.

Rotherham Central NPT Inspector John Crapper said, “These vapes are undercutting legitimate businesses and unfortunately sometimes find their ways into the hands of children – posing potential health risks.

“Our work to stop these unfit products from hitting the streets of Rotherham forms part of our ongoing work with Rotherham Council to ensure the safety of our local communities.

“This excellent work shows how important partnership work is. Working together on the issues that matter the most to local communities is what pushes us to achieve results like these. The hard work does not stop, and we will continue to focus on this issue.”

Rotherham Council’s Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment, Andrew Bramidge said, "As a partnership, the Council and South Yorkshire Police are committed to tackling the sale of illegal vapes. Illicit tobacco and vapes, many with added synthetic hazardous chemicals in them, can be associated with significant health problems for users, along with funding potential criminal activity.

“We will continue to work with local businesses to ensure they are complying with the law, and any retailers who continue to sell illegal products will have them confiscated and face prosecution.”