Nottingham vape checks find seven retailers sold to minors

Seven of the nine Nottingham businesses visited in an underage vape test purchase operation sold nicotine inhaling products to children without asking for proof of age, according to Nottingham City Council Trading Standards and Nottinghamshire Police.

The operation targeted premises suspected of selling vapes and other nicotine inhaling products to under-18s. Supervised underage volunteers were sent into nine retailers across Nottingham, where seven were able to buy products despite the legal age limit.

For parents and residents, the practical route is clear: concerns about underage vape sales can be reported to local Trading Standards, while retailers selling nicotine products are being told to tighten staff training, apply Challenge 25 and keep refusals records properly.

Seven failures from nine test purchases

The council said the test purchasing was focused on retailers already suspected of selling nicotine products to children. That means the result should not be read as a citywide failure rate for every shop in Nottingham, but it does show a high level of non-compliance among the businesses selected for checks.

The sales happened without the volunteers being challenged for proof of age. The businesses that failed are now under further investigation and may face formal action, including prosecution and additional compliance checks.

The Nottingham findings sit alongside wider enforcement work on underage sales elsewhere, including a Hornchurch vape sale investigation and Havering checks on age-restricted products.

Why the checks focused on child safety

Nicotine inhaling products, including vapes, are age-restricted because they can be addictive and are not meant to be sold to children. The Nottingham operation was framed by the council and police as a child protection and community safety issue, rather than a routine retail paperwork matter.

Councillor Matt Shannon, Nottingham City Council’s Executive Member for Community Protection, Neighbourhoods and Equalities, said it was “reprehensible” that businesses were willing to illegally sell nicotine products to children.

He said the high failure rate was “deeply alarming” and showed that too many retailers were failing in their legal responsibilities. He added that the council would continue working with Nottinghamshire Police and would make enforcement outcomes public once any court proceedings had concluded.

The rules retailers are expected to follow

Under the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015, it is illegal to sell nicotine inhaling products to anyone under 18.

Retailers are expected to operate Challenge 25, meaning staff should ask for identification from anyone who appears to be under 25. The policy is designed to reduce judgement calls at the till and make refusal the default when age is uncertain.

Nottingham City Council is also reminding businesses to keep staff training up to date, apply age checks consistently and maintain refusals registers correctly. Retailers who need a refusals register can contact Nottingham City Council Trading Standards on 0115 844 5018.

Operation Reclaim links retail checks to wider enforcement

The test purchases form part of wider partnership work supporting Nottinghamshire Police’s Operation Reclaim, which targets criminality, protects communities and aims to make Nottingham safer and more welcoming for residents, workers and visitors.

Chief Inspector Kylie Davies said any business failing to act responsibly would be dealt with accordingly. She said four vape shops in and around the city centre had already been closed as part of Operation Reclaim, which is also tackling business crime.

The seven businesses that failed the underage test purchase operation remain subject to further investigation, with possible prosecution and further compliance checks still on the table.

Source: Nottingham City Council