Vape store in south Essex shopping centre closed after selling illegal vapes

A VAPE shop in south Essex which was selling illegal vapes and potentially selling vapes to underage customers has has been closed by the council.

Thurrock Council’s trading standards team has secured a closure notice against Cloud City Vapes, Clarence Road, Grays, during a hearing on Friday at Southend Magistrates’ Court.

During a test purchase, the shop not only failed to ask an 18 year-old for ID, as they should have as part of the Challenge 25 scheme they had signed up to, they also sold them an illegal vape with a tank three times larger than is legally permitted.

Test on vapes labelled as “nicotine free” revealed that they not only contained nicotine, but that the levels of nicotine present were above the legal limit.

Officers seized around 10,000 vapes from the shop which are estimated to be worth around £100,000.

These vapes have been forfeited as trading standards’ investigations continue.