The charity Girls Out Loud has warned that vapes are increasingly used by predators to groom children into criminal or sexual activity. Shadow Policing Minister Matt Vickers said paedophile gangs are grooming children in vape shops by offering free e-cigarettes in return for sexual favours. The body that represents trading standards officers nationally says vapes are being used as a hook to lure vulnerable children. Frontline trading standards officers have received complaints of children being given vapes in exchange for sexual favors, according to trading standards officers.
A mother told the BBC that her daughter was groomed by a vape shop owner who gave her free vapes. In a case study from Wales, a 14-year-old girl was given free vapes and alcohol in exchange for sexual favors by a convenience store owner; the shop also sold or gave vapes to children as young as 11, according to Crimestoppers Wales. Crimestoppers Wales launched a campaign about vapes being used to attract, groom, and exploit children across Wales.
In the West Midlands, a senior council worker repeatedly shared reports of children as young as 11 being sexually abused in High Street mini-marts with West Midlands authorities over the past 10 years, according to internal Dudley Council documents. Intelligence briefings from 2019 to 2024 claim children may have been at risk of sexual abuse after being offered drugs, alcohol and cigarettes in mini-marts, according to extracts from intelligence briefings. The council worker said worries over child abuse on high streets in the West Midlands were repeatedly shared in briefings with a child sexual exploitation safeguarding group between 2016 and 2025. In a June 2024 briefing, a report was shared of an attempt to lure a child to a flat after being given free cigarettes. Concerns were raised that a particular shop operated by an organized crime group was targeting young women between 2016 and 2017. Throughout 2019 and 2020, the CSE group discussed high street shops in Lye, described as a 'hot spot' for abuse where a few children were mentioned being exploited, according to a log seen by the BBC.
West Midlands Police initially said there was no evidence to substantiate the claims, but later updated their statement after further evidence was presented by the BBC. David Greenwood, a specialist child abuse lawyer, said it's hard to see how West Midlands Police can categorically deny the existence of evidence. West Midlands Police itself said it was possible that high street shops in Lye were engaged in child sexual exploitation in 2019 and requested help from Trading Standards.
Trading Standards officers found evidence of workers learning English phrases to groom children, and condoms in their pockets, according to a Trading Standards officer. Kuldeep Maan, Principal Trading Standards Officer, described complaints that vapes and illegal goods are given free to children in return for sexual favors, and called it an epidemic. His team prioritizes shutting down shops based on the grooming threat to children. Over the past year, Kuldeep's team has shut down nearly 40 rogue vape shops and mini marts, many run by organized criminal networks, according to research from four sources. Last summer, the team took action against a shop after intelligence that men were driving 12-year-old customers in cars to an unknown location. Shop workers from countries including Kurdistan and Afghanistan were found with condoms and phrasebooks with grooming phrases, according to Kuldeep Maan.
It's hard to see how West Midlands Police can categorically deny the existence of evidence.
Underage shoppers aged 14-17 were able to buy nicotine vapes from five out of eight shops on a London high street without being asked for ID, according to multiple reports. A 17-year-old girl was able to book a lip filler appointment without being asked for ID. Richard Timmins, a trading standards officer, is aware of shops illegally selling vapes to children as young as 11.
In Norway, vape sales are linked to serious crime among youth, including death threats, knife incidents, and black market sales worth tens of thousands of kroner, according to six sources. Police in Norway say vape is more profitable than drugs and is used to recruit young people into criminal networks, according to Tor Ragnar Steffensen, a police officer.
Senior politicians have called for an urgent inquiry into child sexual exploitation linked to high streets in the West Midlands. Chris Philp, Zia Yusuf, and Ed Davey are among those demanding action.
A woman who worked at a mini-mart in the West Midlands said she was sexually assaulted by a shop worker after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an anonymous account. Crimestoppers Wales launched a campaign about vapes being used to attract, groom, and exploit children across Wales.
Trading Standards spending has been cut by more than 50% over the past decade, and staffing levels have fallen by 30%, according to multiple reports. These cuts have hampered efforts to tackle the issue.
The full extent of the problem remains unclear. It is unknown how many children have been affected by this grooming across the UK. The specific actions taken by West Midlands Police since updating their statement have not been disclosed. There is no information on prosecutions or ongoing investigations resulting from the Trading Standards shutdowns. The full extent of organized crime involvement in these shops is not yet known, and it is unclear how widespread this issue is beyond the West Midlands and Wales.