Shops in Yorkshire found to be flouting single-use vape ban
Nearly two weeks on from a ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes in the UK, many shops have been found still to be openly selling the illicit items. Almost half of the 21 stores which an undercover BBC reporter visited in cities in Yorkshire continued to sell the vapes as though there had been no law change.Single-use vapes, in their bright-coloured packaging and variety of fruity flavours, had been a "key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping", the previous government had said as it first set its sights on a ban.The Labour administration followed through, with the disposables officially banned from sale from 1 June this year - the aim being to protect children's health and reduce damage to the environment.Since the introduction of the ban, anybody selling the illicit items risks a £200 fine, with repeat offenders facing the prospect of jail.But our undercover investigation has revealed that while some shop owners in Sheffield, Bradford, York and Leeds have been found to be following the new rules, others are turning a blind eye.
In some shops we visited in Yorkshire, the colourful packaging of single-use vapes was still very much visible on the shelves.Shopkeepers in those premises seemed happy to offer them to customers, and many were even selling them at a reduced price.One shopkeeper I spoke to told me he knew he was breaking the law by selling the single-use disposable vapes, but he added that he wanted to sell his remaining stock at a discount."It's banned," he said, pointing at the stack of vapes in his shop window."I'm not allowed to sell them. I'm finishing. I don't have a lot, so I'm just trying to [get rid of them]."This was despite the ban on such vapes having been announced in October last year.That gave stores more than seven months to get rid of the disposable vapes they still had in stockrooms and on the shelves before the ban came into force in June.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said before the ban that vape usage in England had grown by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with about 9% of people now buying and using the products.Single-use disposable vapes helped get children hooked on nicotine and blighted high streets with waste, according to the government."It's why we've taken tough action and banned them," a Defra spokesperson said.Flouting that ban, another shopkeeper asked me if I wanted a "good deal" and offered to sell me an armful of the illicit vapes for £20, showing me a pick-and-mix of fruity flavours in the store's glass cabinet.However, as part of our investigation in cities across Yorkshire to find out where such vapes were still being sold, we also visited traders regulated by North Yorkshire Council's Trading Standards team.Both shop workers approached by our undercover reporter there refused to sell the now-illegal items.Councillor Greg White, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for environment, said it was "disappointing" to see shops in other parts of Yorkshire were still prepared to break the law."There's been plenty of time to prepare and to try to get people to move from disposable vapes to reusable ones, and that would have been good for their business," he explained.A Defra spokesperson said: "Rogue traders will face serious penalties, up to and including criminal prosecution."
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
23 minutes ago
- The National
Starmer's approach to global trade is clearly not ‘pragmatic' at all
The UK Government estimates that annual economic output will be a stunning 0.1% higher by 2040 than it would have been without the India trade deal. In contrast, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) noted in Spring 2023 that Brexit's impact in the long run reduces our overall output by around 4% compared with what we would have had we remained in the EU. The amount gained by the 'landmark' India deal is therefore one-fortieth of the amount lost due to Brexit. READ MORE: UK-India post-Brexit free trade deal agreed after years of negotiation Prime Minister Starmer has described the Indian trade deal as a 'pragmatic' approach to global trade. Such an approach would, however, involve the UK Government restoring frictionless trade with the UK's largest trading partner, the European Union. If the UK Government were looking to deliver a 'pragmatic' approach on the economic front, Sir Keir would be looking to get the UK back into the European single market as soon as possible. This would be far more productive than trying to deliver trade deals with far-off countries and deliver immensely higher economic benefits than the paltry 0.1% generated by the India trade deal. Alex Orr Edinburgh THE world must be having laugh at Starmer as they did with Boris Johnson. Starmer considered he had done well to claim first prize with his Trump deal, being the first in the world to do so. Then along came Joseph Stiglitz, an American Nobel-prize-winning economist, on Laura Kuenssberg's Sunday show stating that Trump's method for changing his business bargaining tariffs is to choose the weakest first, then move on to the other countries, which is indeed what he did with the UK. READ MORE: Scottish care sector chief compares Keir Starmer to Enoch Powell in damning comments Stiglitz was a breath of fresh air in his interview, even stating that Scotland did things differently to Westminster especially where student fees are concerned. Starmer behaved like a school boy bringing an apple for his teacher when he presented Trump with an invitation for tea with King Charles. 'What a pushover', Trump must have thought, 'this guy is gonna be no trouble.' And so it was with Starmer claiming a success story with his 10% tariff in exchange for the 1.8% tariff on UK goods to America. Even more than before Brexit when we were part of the EU market. Alan Magnus-Bennett Fife STARMER'S Trump appeasement and grovelling is reaching the point where we're all reaching for the sick bag. Put aside the smarm-fest that was the 'royal' invitation. Put aside the bizarre trade deal, with oligarch-pal and yacht-botherer Peter Mandelson first lapping it up at Trump's left shoulder before looking like a puppet with cut strings when a real reporter (Scottish) pointed out it was all smoke and mirrors. Put aside all the UK's debasement. READ MORE: Police and fire brigade attend fire at Keir Starmer's house I ask again, when is enough going to be enough? Presidential adviser Stephen Miller, creep of creeps, has just announced a possible end to habeas corpus – the foundation stone of the most basic democracies. This follows the deportation of US citizens by ICE and Trump's befuddlement over whether or not he has to 'follow the constitution'. I just wait to see who Westminster will send along to represent Britain (England) at Trump's birthday military parade. Yes – the military parade for the draft dodger who has mocked veterans and banned transgender people from serving in the US military. Might I nominate Tony Blair as the perfect envoy to watch real heroes march by as slimeballs look down from a gold balcony? Amanda Baker Edinburgh I KNOW that modern journalists are generally illiterate about anything to do with religion these days but I would have thought that a journalist for The National would know a little more about the Scottish Catholic Church than shown in your article of May 9 on the election of Pope Leo XIV. The journalist quotes 'international development charity Cafod' about the Pope, obviously oblivious to the fact that this is the aid and development agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Scotland's equivalent, Sciaf (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund) is ignored, as is any source from the Scottish Catholic Church. READ MORE: Richard Murphy: Pope Leo can yield power stronger than political force The Vatican is the only state in the world which recognises Scotland as a separate entity from the rest of the UK. The then Pope Leo XXIII restored the Scottish hierarchy in 1878 and the current Scottish Bishops' Conference was born. The current pontiff has taken the name of Leo because he wants to acknowledge Leo XXIII's first modern Catholic Social Teaching encyclical, Reurum Novarum, which protected the rights of workers at the height of the industrial revolution – a sign that he will follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis. By the way, Sciaf, which transforms the lives of the poor, not making them comfortable in their poverty, is at the top of the recipients of funds for projects from the Scottish Government's overseas development fund (which would be much bigger had we been independent, of course). Please note for the future! Dr Duncan MacLaren KCSG Glasgow Former Director of SCIAF and former Secretary General of the Vatican-based Caritas Internationalis I HAD to laugh about the RBS bank notes article in last Monday's National. For the last two years, the ATM inside the Falkirk branch of the RBS only appears to dispense English bank notes (seven out of seven visits). All part of the anglicisation of Scotland, after the Tories changed the name of the parent company from RBS to the NatWest (National Westminster) Group in 2020? A Wilson Stirlingshire
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
More charges for UK rapper Yung Filly who is accused of raping a woman in a Perth hotel room
YouTuber and rapper Yung Filly is facing more charges after allegedly raping a woman in a hotel room. The British musician, who is fighting allegations he raped and choked a woman after a gig, has been hit with two more charges, as his trial date is set. Yung Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, appeared in Perth District Court on Friday. The 29-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in a hotel room following a performance in the city's northern suburbs in September. He previously pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual penetration without consent and three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. The entertainer has also denied impeding the woman's normal breathing or circulation by applying pressure to her neck. He is now facing two additional counts of sexual penetration without consent, although no plea has been entered. The additional charges were briefly mentioned in court but not explained and his lawyer declined to discuss the change outside court. The London rapper, who has 1.8 million YouTube subscribers and millions of Instagram and TikTok followers, will face a 10-day trial on April 20, 2026. He was arrested in Brisbane and extradited to Perth in October. Filly is among the legions of 'content creators' who have made a name for themselves by amassing huge followings online and made money from video ad revenue and brand collaborations. Born in Colombia, he moved to the UK at the age of two with his single mother and two siblings. After leaving school and trying his hand at working as a broker, he began posting comedy skits online himself and with collaborators and began a music career in 2017. This lead to TV presenting jobs, including BBC's Hot Property, which he hosted in 2018. Barrientos was previously fined and banned from driving for six months after he pleaded guilty to reckless driving in November, while on bail.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Rachel Reeves' £300 Winter Fuel Payment change and how pensioners can claim
Earlier this month, Rachel Reeves said more people would qualify for Winter Fuel Payments - and now, more details of the changes and who will be eligible have been revealed Millions more pensioners will receive the Winter Fuel Payment this year after a major change to the eligibility criteria was announced by Labour today. Winter Fuel Payments used to be awarded to everyone over state pension age - but more than 10 million pensioners lost out on the cash last winter after new rules were introduced that limited who can get them. The update sparked major backlash from MPs and charities, who warned it would leave many older people in poverty at a time when energy bills are still high. Earlier this month, Rachel Reeves said more people would qualify for the payments "this winter" - and now, more details of the changes and who will be eligible have been revealed. What has been announced today? Under the current rules, you only receive the Winter Fuel Payment in England and Wales if you're over state pension age and receiving a means-tested benefit, such as Pension Credit. They used to be universally available to anyone over state pension age, regardless of their income or if they are in receipt of benefits. But now, the Government has announced that Winter Fuel Payments will be available to anyone over state pension age who has an income of, or below, £35,000 a year. If you earn above £35,000 a year, you will receive the payment - but then you will have to pay it back. The payment will be automatically recovered by HMRC via PAYE, or through self-assessment return. You can opt out of receiving the payment, with details to be confirmed. Winter Fuel Payments will still be issued per household, but the income eligibility is based per person. For example, if you have two people living together and one earns £30,000 a year and the other earns £40,000, one person would keep their share of the Winter Fuel Payment but the other would pay it back. Labour says approximately nine million pensioners will receive Winter Fuel Payments this year. In Scotland, the Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced with a new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. What has Rachel Reeves said? This change will cost around £1.25billion in England and Wales and will save around £450million, subject to certification by the Office for Budget Responsibility, compared to the system of universal Winter Fuel Payments. Rachel Reeves said: 'Targeting Winter Fuel Payments was a tough decision, but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government. 'It is also right that we continue to means-test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest. 'But we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the Winter Fuel Payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out. This will mean over three quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.' What have charities said? Independent Age Chief Executive Joanna Elson CBE said: 'We are pleased that the UK Government has listened to the voices of older people on a low income and reconsidered what was an incredibly damaging change to the Winter Fuel Payment. 'By widening the eligibility criteria, more older people in financial hardship will now receive this vital lifeline in time for winter. Our helpline receives thousands of calls from older people making drastic cutbacks just to get by and the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment made this worse. 'For millions living on low incomes, the entitlement supports them to turn their heating on and stock up on food during the colder months. While the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment are positive, they are not a silver bullet that will end pensioner poverty. 'Around two million older people still live in poverty, and measures must be taken to ensure the long-term financial security of all people in later life. 'There needs to be a cross-party consensus on the adequate income needed in later life to avoid financial hardship. Once this is established, every older person should be supported to receive this amount. Nobody should have to live in poverty as they age.' How much are Winter Fuel Payments worth? Winter Fuel Payments are worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80. Your eligibility will be based on your age by the end of the qualifying week. The qualifying week changes every year, but for winter 2025/26, the qualifying week will be September 15 to September 21, 2025. How do I claim Winter Fuel Payments? Winter Fuel Payments are paid automatically - this means you should not need to apply for the cash. It will be paid directly into your bank account, normally from November, with most people paid by January. Payments can be paid all the way up until the following March. As we've mentioned above, if you earn above £35,000 a year, then you will have to pay the money back. Winter Fuel Payments are tax-free payment and do not affect any benefits you may receive. Who isn't eligible for Winter Fuel Payments? For the last round of Winter Fuel Payments, you weren't eligible if you: Were in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year Were in prison during the qualifying week Were living in a care home during the qualifying week You also weren't eligible if you lived in a care home for more than 13 weeks, including the qualifying week. Labour has not released any further details on whether this eligibility will still apply for this year.
