Calls grow for licensing scheme amid enforcement concerns

NEW data has revealed the Welsh hotspots for illegal vape sales, with over 30,000 illicit and unregulated products seized in 2024 – the equivalent of one every 20 minutes.

The worst-affected area was Newport, where Newport City Council confiscated more than 21,000 illegal vapes last year – an increase of 173% compared to 2023. The city accounted for a third of all illegal vape seizures in Wales. Over the past three years, 49 premises closure orders have been issued in the area.

Flintshire recorded the second highest number of seizures, with 4,545 illicit vapes removed from sale – up 170% on the previous year.

The findings come from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to 108 local authorities by Vape Club, and are published in the 2025 Illegal Vapes Report. The research lays bare the scale of the UK’s growing illegal vape market.

Wales’ top five illegal vape hotspots in 2024

• Newport City Council: 21,169 devices seized
• Flintshire County Council: 4,545 devices seized
• Carmarthenshire County Council: 1,850 devices seized
• Gwynedd Council: 721 devices seized
• Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council: 607 devices seized

Despite 82 recorded instances of illegal vape sales in Wales last year, only five penalties were issued. Closure orders were served to just ten retailers – representing only 12% of reported cases. The figures have prompted growing concern over inadequate enforcement.

Across the UK, 1.2 million illegal vapes were seized in 2024 – a 44% increase from the previous year. That equates to two illegal vapes seized every minute.

Industry experts are calling for the introduction of a Vape Retailer and Distributor Licensing Scheme to help tackle the issue. Without stricter controls and additional resources for enforcement, they warn the illegal trade could surge – especially following the UK Government’s planned ban on disposable vapes this June.

Dan Marchant, Director at Vape Club, said:
“The real issue of illicit vape sales lies in the inadequate enforcement of current regulations and the weak penalties for offenders. With the disposable vape ban coming into force, we risk a flood of dangerous, unregulated products entering the UK, all because the core issue has not been addressed.

“This boils down to lacklustre fines and no structured funding for Trading Standards. That’s why we strongly support a robust retail and distribution licensing scheme, with revenues ringfenced for proactive enforcement.

“This funding could give Border Force the resources to stop more illegal products at the border, and allow Trading Standards to crack down on rogue retailers and impose meaningful penalties.”

A SMALL tree with a remarkable legacy has been planted at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, strengthening a unique 138-year connection between the town and Japan.

The sapling, a descendant of the ancient Ginkgo tree that towers above the Royal Dockyard, now stands proudly in the grounds of the former Dockyard Chapel, which houses the Heritage Centre.

At a ceremony on Thursday (Apr 17), the sapling was planted by Mr Masaki Ikegami, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United Kingdom. He was joined by Captain Shuzo Homma, Naval Attaché at the Japanese Embassy, and welcomed by invited guests, trustees of the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust, and centre volunteers.

The original Ginkgo tree grows in the garden of the historic Master Shipwright’s House nearby. It was presented to the town in 1877 to commemorate the launch of the Armoured Corvette Hiei—one of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s first modern warships, built at a private yard at Jacob’s Pill, Pennar, and modelled on British naval designs. Its launch was a major event, attended by the Japanese Ambassador to the UK at the time.

In recent years, saplings from the original tree have been propagated at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Some have been returned to Japan, where they now grow at naval bases and at a shrine honouring Admiral Heihachiro Togo. As a young lieutenant, Togo lived in Pembroke Dock during the construction of Hiei.

Guests were welcomed by Heritage Trust Patron John Evans and Chairman Rik Saldanha. Attendees included the Deputy Lieutenant of Dyfed, Professor Patricia Mawuli Porter; Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor Steve Alderman; Mayor of Pembroke Dock, Councillor Maria Williams; Senedd Member Sam Kurtz; Ayshea Cunniffe-Thomas of the National Botanic Garden of Wales; and Simon Richards, who shared fascinating insights into the Ginkgo tree—one of the oldest species on Earth, dating back to the age of dinosaurs.

Also present was Mrs Margaret James, widow of the late maritime historian David James, whose extensive research documented the naval ties between Japan and Pembroke Dock. She was accompanied by her son, Adrian.

A poignant connection to Japan was represented by Mrs Yoriko Omae, originally from Hiroshima, who assisted David James in commemorating Japanese sailors buried in Pembrokeshire and recently retired from her role at Pembroke Dock Library.

Following the planting ceremony, guests were invited to the Master Shipwright’s House by owners Stewart and Angela Walton to view the original Ginkgo tree.

One in three never take part in local events

LESS than half of Welsh homeowners believe their local community is thriving, with many never taking part in community activities, a new UK-wide survey has found.

The research, released by Humphreys Oil – part of Certas Energy – reveals that only 44 per cent of Welsh homeowners consider their community to be flourishing. Alarmingly, nearly one in three (32 per cent) respondents in Wales say they never engage in any community activities, a rate significantly higher than the UK average of one in four.

The findings suggest that Wales is experiencing one of the highest levels of community disengagement in the UK. Rural areas are particularly affected, with residents across the UK living in rural locations found to be 23 per cent less likely to feel connected to their communities than those in urban settings.

In response, Humphreys Oil has launched a £30,000 fund to help strengthen local ties and improve shared spaces.

The Community Bloom Fund, available to community groups across the UK, aims to support initiatives that bring people together – from upgrading parks and community centres to sponsoring grassroots sports teams and local events.

Richard Billington, Managing Director of Energy Solutions for Certas Energy, said: “We supply off-grid energy across Wales and the UK, and every day we see first-hand the power of community. When we saw that one in three Welsh people never engage in community activities, we knew we had to do something to help change that.

“That’s why the Community Bloom Fund exists – to bring people together, bolster communities, and create a greater sense of place, especially in rural areas. Whether it’s parent-and-baby groups, gardening clubs or local centres hosting events, thriving community initiatives can make a huge difference to people’s physical and mental health.”

Applications for the fund are open until 28th May 2025. Community groups are invited to submit a short summary of their work and explain how they would use the funding to support their local area.

To apply, visit: www.certasenergy.co.uk/community-bloom-fund