Southend-on-Sea City Council has launched an anonymous online reporting tool to help Trading Standards officers tackle underage sales of tobacco and vapes, as well as illegal and counterfeit products.
The council is encouraging residents to use the new service to report retailers suspected of selling age-restricted products to under-18s or supplying illicit tobacco and vaping products.
The initiative comes as new national tobacco and vaping measures introduced on 1 October aim to tackle youth vaping, crack down on illicit products and support legitimate retailers complying with the law.
The council warned that counterfeit tobacco and vaping products can pose serious health and safety risks, with illegal vapes potentially containing unsafe components and batteries. It also noted that the sale of counterfeit goods is often linked to wider criminal activity.
Councillor Irene Ferguson, cabinet member for housing and preventing homelessness, whose portfolio includes regulatory services, said the reporting tool would help make it easier for residents to raise concerns.
“Protecting the public from harmful products is a priority, and we want to make it as easy as possible for residents to report any concerns they may have,” she said.
Residents can submit information anonymously through the council’s online reporting form.
The launch also forms part of the council’s wider efforts to support a thriving city centre and maintain confidence in the local retail environment.
The council said its cabinet would consider the powers available to address concerns about the excessive concentration of vape shops, mobile phone repair businesses and barbers in parts of the High Street.
Action against illegal tobacco and vaping products is an important part of this wider work to support legitimate businesses and promote a balanced retail mix, it added.