More than 800 illegal and potentially dangerous e-cigarettes have been seized in a series of shopraids.

Trading Standards carried out searches at 27 premises between October 2021 and March this year, recovering 826 illegal vapes in the crackdown, including ones labelled with the names of popular brands such as 'Geek Bar', 'Bang' and 'Solo'.

Some of the products had a strength of 5% nicotine, which is more than double the legal limit of 2%. Others contained more than four times the legal limit of e-liquid - 2ml.

Many of them were incorrectly labelled, lacked sufficient health warnings and did not have the details of a UK-based manufacturer or importer who can be contacted in the event of a safety issue.

The products will now be destroyed by a specialist company.

Cllr Jane Chitty, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for planning, economic growth and regulation, covering Trading Standards, said: "I would like to thank our trading standards team for their diligent hard work preventing these illegal, and potentially unsafe, products from being sold to residents. "The team will continue to visit shops across Medway to ensure that all e-cigarette products being sold are legal and safe.

"If residents have any concerns about the safety of e-cigarettes or e-liquids that they find on sale I would encourage them to report their findings to Trading Standards."

For more information about trading standards, visit the website.

Residents and businesses with concerns about an e-cigarette they have bought, or have seen on sale, can contact Medway’s trading standards team by emailing consumer.protection@medway.gov.uk or phoning the consumer advice helpline on 0808 223 1133.