Number of convenience stores found selling illicit vapes - Find a freedom of information request

Please can you supply the following information:

1) The number of businesses found selling illicit vapes for the period of 1 January 2022 - 31 December 2022 and January 2023 and 31 August 2023.

The key search terms I am seeking in relation to the type of business are; convenience store, corner shop, grocery store, supermarket, newsagent, symbol group, tobacconist, off licence and independent retailer.

2)

a) Could you also provide the name the offending businesses traded under and their address.

b) The punishment for the business and whether they complied - warning, fine, compliance notice, escalation to the police, etc. Ideally, I would like these figures broken down month-on-month.

1.

• 2022 – 15 seizures from 15 businesses
• 2023 – 19 seizures from 16 businesses (3 businesses with more than 1 seizure, 2 businesses also had non compliant vapes seized in 2022)

b. Please note the month/date in the table below corresponds with the seizure date, not necessarily the date the enforcement action was taken.  More than one enforcement action can be taken against each seizure.  The number of closure orders reflects the enforcement decision as to the seizure, it is not representative of the number of closures orders granted (i.e 2 closure order decisions/actions could have been made for 2 seizures from the same premise on different dates but this may result in one closure order at a later date for the premise, not a closure order for each seizure).  Closure orders rely on a history of the premise to be formed – which may come from multiple seizures).