Illegal Vape Seizures in Borough Rise Over £100,000
Trading Standards officers intensify efforts against shops breaking the law
Some shop owners say they have found adjusting to new legislation difficult. Picture: iStock
November 17, 2025
Hammersmith & Fulham Trading Standards officers have seized 12,263 illegal vapes with an estimated street value of £106,236 since April 2021, the council says. The local enforcement team reports a sharp rise in seizures: nearly £24,000 worth of illicit vapes were taken in the past seven months alone, as officers step up patrols of high streets and shops across the borough.
Doug Love of H&F Trading Standards said the message to retailers is clear: comply with the law or face enforcement. He warned that teams monitor shops and will remove illegal goods. The council frames the activity as a public‑safety measure, removing products that can be over‑strength or potentially toxic.
The local action sits alongside a wider national crackdown. Operation Machinize 2 — a recent series of raids coordinated across the UK — has visited about 2,700 shops in six months, resulting in 924 arrests and seizures of illicit goods with an estimated value of £10.7 million, according to enforcement announcements. The nationwide operation has also opened investigations into roughly 450 businesses via Companies House inquiries.
Selling single‑use disposable vapes became an explicit offence on 1 June, aimed at reducing litter and environmental harm; repeat offences carry heavy penalties. The legal consequences for retailers can include prosecution, closure orders of up to three months where sales are judged likely to cause antisocial behaviour, and the potential loss of premises licences.
National Crime Agency director Rachael Herbert said depriving criminals of income from illicit sales reduces their capacity to reinvest in further offending and helps protect legitimate high‑street businesses. At the same time, campaigners and environmental groups have emphasised the toll of disposable vapes on the environment: research cited by recycling group Material Focus estimated that some 5 million single‑use vapes are discarded each week across the UK, many containing materials such as lead and mercury that can pollute soil and waterways and harm wildlife.
H&F Trading Standards has encouraged shopkeepers to switch fully to refillable and rechargeable devices where legal, noting that some retailers have been slow to make that transition. The council says it will continue enforcement activity and follow up intelligence about repeat offenders.
Some shop owners argue that the cost and supply issues of legitimate, compliant alternatives can be a burden on small businesses still recovering from wider economic pressures. Community groups and parents have welcomed the seizures as a necessary step to protect young people and public spaces from the health and environmental risks posed by unregulated products.
Residents with information about illegal sales are being urged to report concerns to Hammersmith & Fulham Trading Standards.
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