38 'stores of concern' in battle against illegal vapes and tobacco sales in North Lincs
Grimsby Telegraph
North Lincolnshire Trading Standards flagged 38 stores for illegal vape and tobacco sales, amid new 2026 legislation and enforcement efforts.Summary
North Lincolnshire Trading Standards identified 38 convenience stores—34 in Scunthorpe’s town centre—selling illegal tobacco and illicit vapes. The findings come amid the 2026 Tobacco and Vapes Act, which bans nicotine‑free sales to under‑18s, prohibits advertising, and will outlaw sales to anyone born after 1 January 2009. Enforcement actions include 15 premises visits in 2025/26, resulting in 3,746 vapes seized and one pending prosecution. The council has added an Apprentice Trading Standards Practitioner to focus on vape and tobacco enforcement, and local councillors highlighted the need for more resources to tackle the hotspot on Frodingham Road.
(Source：Grimsby Telegraph)
