West Midlands: Illegal vape dangers highlighted after BBC probe
At least 31,177 non-compliant products were seized by Staffordshire County Council, where trading standards manager Tony Shore said it was not known what chemicals they contained.He said: "A lot of the ones that we're seeing – they're bright colours; the flavours that they are being flavoured with are attractive to young people, and those are the ones that tend to get bought by young people."
Richard Overton, deputy leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, said: "Some of them are oversized, which means they're illegal because of the number of puffs you can take on those products."Some people in the community would think that's a good thing because they're trying to save money, but actually to have an illegal vape could be dangerous because they're not licensed."Nearly 10,000 were seized across Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, data showed.Overton said the council was working with West Mercia Police on an intelligence-led basis to identify those selling the products.Tactics included using specially trained dogs for searches, seizing products, reviewing licences and looking at criminal proceedings and injunctions, he added.
Coventry City Council's trading standards team seized 9,934 illicit or non-compliant vapes between 2022 and 2024.Liam Mooney, principal trading standards officer for Coventry, said the trade in vapes was linked to many issues, but he had found many vape shops were run by organised crime gangs – and shops selling illegal goods were "far less scrupulous in terms of selling to those under 18".He would like to have greater powers to be able to shut down shops selling vapes altogether.A spokesman for the Independent British Vape Trade Association said the majority of purposed vape shops operated within the law, but a resurgence in the popularity of single-use vapes - a popular "cash market" – had seen organised crime gangs get involved.The IBVTA welcomed the recently-announced £10m of extra investment in trading standards by the government, and the extra powers officers will have via the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.From 1 June, it will be illegal for businesses in the UK to sell, supply or possess single-use vapes for sale.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside Lady Leshurr's fall from grace after being axed by the BBC and Loose Women as she makes TV comeback on Celeb SAS
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LADY Leshurr once appeared to have the career of dreams. From being a viral music star and well-respected rapper to becoming TV's surprisingly most in-demand star with every programme desperate to sign her up. 9 Lady Leshurr once appeared to have the career of dreams Credit: RDF Television 9 The rapper was once TV's most in-demand star Credit: Rex 9 She's now preparing to make a comback on Celebrity SAS after a court case 'ruined' her career Credit: Pete Dadds / Channel 4 But for the 37-year-old, her career took a nosedive when she was accused of a vicious assault on her ex-girlfriend which saw a lengthy legal battle endure. As she faced the prospect of being convincted for the crime, Lady Leshurr, whose real name is Melesha O'Garro, lost out on all of her income. Her record deal disappeared and both the BBC and ITV dropped her from their payroll but as the star prepares to make a TV comeback on Celebrity SAS after being acquitted of the crime she was accused of, The Sun takes a look back at her rise to the top and her sudden fall from grace. Musical Beginnings 9 The star was achieving tens of millions of views on her rap hits in the late 2010s Credit: Alamy Lady Leshurr began to make waves on the Birmingham underground music scene with her rap tracks in the early 2010s. She began to release mixtapes that caught the attention of music heavyweights as her following began to grow. However, it wasn't until 2015 when she gained mainstream recognition with her Queen's Speech freestyles. The tracks were a unique look on UK rap music and often featured comedic phrases and humorous lines and saw Leshurr rack up tens of millions of views. The fourth instalment of the franchise became her biggest hit after going viral within 24 hours of its release and it saw the star land a major record deal with Sony Music. She went on to release her first official single with Wiley which became an instant hit and she soon picked up the MOBO Award for Best Female Act and toured with Nicki Minaj. TV Superstar 9 The star was a popular Loose Women panellist Credit: ITV Off the back of her rising star power, she caught the attention of the TV world and she soon found her diary was filling up with countless big-money offers to join a slew of different shows. Lady Leshurr is crowned as the winner of The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up To Cancer She took part in the BBC's Celebrity MasterChef in 2020 as well as joining ITV's Maya Jama led panel show, Don't Hate The Playaz, for four series. At the same time, she was handed a prestigious contract to become the face of beauty brand Olay, following in the footsteps of Twiggy and Sarah Hyland. In 2021 she was crowned the winner of Channel 4's only edition of The Celebrity Circle in which she catfished as rapper Big Narstie to win the title beating stars including Denise Van Outen, Duncan James, Charlotte Crosby and Saffron Barker. The BBC then hand-picked her to host her own music show on BBC Radio 1Xtra presenting on Saturday afternoons as well as choosing her to be a music mentor on its latest talent show Rock Till We Drop alongside Spandau Ballet legend, Martin Kemp. Desperate for a piece of the action, ITV booked the star to take part in Dancing on Ice and soon handed her a spot on the Loose Women panel. Star Arrested 9 The star was led away by cops after being accused of an early house assault Whilst she appeared to have every dream gig under the sun, and with the promise of brand new music on the way, Lady Leshurr found her world and career turned upside down when she was arrested for assault. In October 2022, the rapper and songwriter was seen being led away by cops in handcuffs at 5am following a fight outside a house in Walthamstow, East London. Witnesses said neighbours were woken up by a 'a screaming match' between Lady Leshurr and two other women. Cops said a 27-year-old woman was found with injuries but did not need hospital treatment. Video footage released at the time showed the rapper, dressed in a white sports bra and wearing a baseball cap, being put in cuffs and led to a police van by two cops. She was charged a day later on two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The star soon found herself axed from both her BBC Radio 1Xtra show and Loose Women as well as having her social media endorsements pulled and no backing in the furthering of her music career. Trial Hell 9 The star lost out on all career opportunities during her trial Credit: BBC A court went on to be told how Lady Leshurr had been accused of attacking her ex-partner Sidnee Hussein as well as Chante Boyea. However, a judge later cleared her and found her not guilty on two counts of assault. She told the court Chante had attacked her first before instructing her her Belgian Malinois security dog Toby as a "weapon" to injure her. Following the conclusion of the trial, the star spoke out on Instagram to confirm she had not made a single penny since being dropped from every work obligation she had been signed up to do. She said: "For the past year I've been battling a court case from people that accused me of stalking, harassing, and biting them but I was the victim. "I was attacked and bitten by a dog and made out to be the aggressor." She also stressed she felt her career had been "ruined regardless of the outcome". SAS Return 9 She is now hoping to prove herself on SAS Credit: Pete Dadds / Channel 4 Almost two years on from the judge's ruling, the star is now making a comeback on Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Discussing why she signed up for the show, she said: 'I think this course is not only going to make me become the best version of myself, but it's going to make me the strongest I've ever been. "It's going to make me realise so much about myself that I've kept in. It's going to push, motivate and inspire me. It's really going to make or break me. "But regardless, it's going to teach me a lesson about myself that I can definitely work on.' 'Doing this course is going to make me regain my strength, my understanding, who I am as a person and just unpack all the trauma that is on my chest… "I'm hoping to leave this course feeling empowered, feeling the strongest I've ever felt, a beast. I want to walk into the gym the next day, like I own this place.'
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Oasis death updates: Tragedy as man falls to his death at Wembley Stadium gig
A man has died after falling during an Oasis concert at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night. Noel and Liam Gallagher's band have paid tribute to their late fans, saying in a statement they were "shocked and saddened" to hear the tragic news. In a statement today, the Metropolitan Police confirmed a man in his 40s was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining "injuries consistent with a fall". Wembley Stadium said in a separate statement "our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers" and confirmed tonight's Oasis gig will still go ahead. Liam and Noel Gallagher have since paid tribute to the fan, admitting that they are 'shocked and saddened' by the tragedy. 18:39Susan Knox Oasis concert-goers share their accounts of tragedy A horrified concertgoer took to Facebook to share their account of the tragic moment, saying: "Did anyone else see the guy drop from the upper tier last night. "I was in block 511 and a guy next to me slipped on the railing and fell below. Was pretty messed up, I hope he's okay." Another concertgoer, in a lower tier, described seeing emergency crews rush to the spot where the fan hit concrete after the plunge. She wrote: "I was directly underneath in section 211. "At first glance I thought it was a coat falling from the above tier but then I looked and saw the bloke on the concrete. It was horrific to see." 18:31Zoe Delaney Oasis pay tribute According to the BBC, Oasis have issued a statement expressing their shock and sadness over the death of a fan. They added: "Oasis would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved." 18:30Zoe Delaney Wembley Stadium statement A Wembley Stadium spokesperson said: "Last night, Wembley Stadium medics, the London Ambulance Service and the police attended to a concert goer who was found with injuries consistent with a fall. "Despite their efforts, the fan very sadly died. Our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers. The Police have asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them. Tonight's Oasis concert will go ahead as planned." 18:29Zoe Delaney Met Police statement in full In a statement the Metropolitan Police said: "A man – aged in his 40s – was found with injuries consistent with a fall. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. "The stadium was busy and we believe it is likely a number of people witnessed the incident, or may knowingly or unknowingly have caught it on mobile phone video footage. If you have any information that could help us to confirm what happened, please call 101."
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
BBC faces criticism over delay in paying court-ordered damages to Gerry Adams
The BBC has been criticised for not yet having paid court-ordered damages to former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams. The corporation lost a major defamation case earlier this year after Mr Adams took them to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme and an accompanying online story. They contained an allegation that Mr Adams sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson. Mr Adams denied any involvement. In May, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him 100,000 euros (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Fein leader's legal costs. Adam Smyth, director of BBC NI, expressed disappointment in the verdict and said the corporation believes it supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial process and journalistic diligence applied to the programme and accompanying online article. After the decision, the broadcaster's legal team was granted a stay in the payment of the full award as it took time to consider an appeal, subject to paying half the damages (50,000 euros or £42,000) and 250,000 euros (£210,000) towards solicitors' fees. In June, the BBC confirmed it would not pursue an appeal. However, it is understood that by August 1 the BBC had not paid the damages. Mr Adams previously indicated that he planned to donate what he receives to good causes. He specified that these would include for children in Gaza as well as groups in the Irish language sector and those who are homeless. A source close to Mr Adams told the PA news agency: 'The delay by the BBC is deplorable and it should move speedily towards discharging the order of the court.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'Total costs will be finalised and payable in due course.'
