Senior Labour councillor warns of 'great danger' of illegal vapes as council ramps up enforcement

It comes as a local MP and government minister encourages residents to submit reports of suspected “dodgy” shops, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Barnet Council's head office and (inset) Danny Rich — Barnet Council’s head office and (inset) Danny Rich

Barnet Council’s licensing chair says he will do all he can to crack down on illegal vape sales – warning they pose a “great danger” to the borough.

The comments, made at a full council meeting yesterday (Tuesday 7th), came from Danny Rich, chair of the Labour-run local authority’s licensing and general purposes committee.

Ahead of the meeting, Conservative councillor Jennifer Grocock submitted a question to her Labour colleague, asking about the efforts being made to reduce the number of vapes being sold to underage children in the borough.

In his written response, Cllr Rich said the council’s trading standards team was taking a “multi-layered approach to prevent the sale of vapes to under-18s” which includes ‘Operation Joseph’, a National Trading Standards initiative targeting illegal and underage vape sales.

He noted that efforts to address the issue had resulted in more than 7,800 illegal or non-compliant vapes being removed from local shops in the borough in the past year.

Cllr Rich also explained that various measures are being used as part of this campaign, including “undercover test purchase operations” and “rapid” responses to tip-offs from residents.

The licensing chair added: “Together, these national and local measures are helping reduce access to vapes for under‑18s and ensure retailers in Barnet meet their legal obligations.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr Grocock followed up, asking what more could be done to crack down on the issue in order to “protect the health of our young people”.

The ward member for Finchley Church End also asked the Labour administration if it agreed that the next step would be to “actually start closing down such establishments and set an example”.

Cllr Rich thanked the Conservative member for her question, adding: “We need to make sure that we have all the powers at our disposal to both shut down these illegal vape shops and educate everybody about their danger – because they are a great danger.

“Some even now have ‘spice’ in them, a very serious drug.”

The licensing chair said he “looked forward” to working with Cllr Grocock to ensure the council is able to do its part in addressing the issue, adding: “Where we don’t have the powers we will lobby the government together to make sure we do have the powers.”

Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson, who is also working for the Labour government as exchequer secretary to the Treasury, last month wrote an article announcing the launch of an online reporting portal for “dodgy” shops that are “local” to the area.

He argued that these premises “undermine legitimate businesses who want the best for our high street”, adding: “They put off investors. They make our high streets feel less safe.”

In the article, the Labour MP told residents he was keen to hear about shops they suspect are “selling harmful, illegal, or counterfeit products, and shops that may be committing fraud, evading tax, or linked to organised crime”.

Tomlinson added: “Where there are grounds for further action, I will raise directly with the relevant authorities – the council, trading standards or the government.

“The more detail you can give on the issue, the better.”

Dan Tomlinson MP’s reporting portal can be found here.

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

ACT NOW!

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.