More than a thousand illegal e-cigarettes have been seized from a city shop as children develop addictions to dangerous levels of nicotine.

Trading Standards discovered the stash of illicit devices at a store in Brighton and Hove along with £2,500 worth of illegal tobacco.

Many of the e-cigarettes were fitted with “oversized” tanks containing nearly six times the legal limit of nicotine.

Legal devices can have 2ml of liquid in their tanks of which two per cent is nicotine, equating to around 600 “puffs”.

Many of the ones seized by Trading Standards held enough vaping liquid for between 3,500 and 9,000 puffs – with the former holding the same nicotine as 280 cigarettes.

The council has not released the name of the shop.

Councillor Tim Rowkins, chairman of the city environment, South Downs and sea committee at Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “I am very pleased with the work our Trading Standards officers are doing to tackle illicit vapes and underage sales.

“It’s disappointing that there are businesses in our city that are willing to put the health of our citizens at risk by selling illegal goods.

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“The rapid rise of vaping among children and young people, including the use of cheaper illicit and unregulated vapes, is extremely concerning. It introduces nicotine addiction to generations, who might not have smoked otherwise.

“I’m also very concerned about the rise of disposable vapes. Aside from the health implications, they are completely unsustainable in terms of waste and I would encourage our local businesses to avoid stocking them entirely.

“Manufacturers are well aware that most are not disposed of correctly, and of the harm they cause by releasing plastic, electronic and hazardous chemical waste into the environment. They can also cause fire or pose health and safety risks at landfill sites.”

Dr Ryan Devlin from the British Medical Association’s Lothian division has previously said the number of young people using vapes is “staggering” as they “should not have access to them”.

“Vapes are being sold illegally to this vulnerable group. But why are they even being sought out by under 18s in the first place? It’s not just the visibility, it’s the way they’re marketed – watermelon, bubblegum, candy floss, ice cream,” he said.