Stay off the ice! As the country faces the big freeze, Dogs Trust Merseyside issues warning to dog owners

SINCE October 2023, Liverpool City Council's Alcohol and Tobacco Unit (ATU) has seized over:- 30,200 vapes, valued at:- Ł362,736, along with 27 closed shops.

These impressive results are part of the Council's ongoing crackdown on those determined to sell illegal products in communities across Liverpool. Tactics used by the team includes:- an underage test purchase programme, unannounced premises searches, and collaboration with partners such as:- Merseyside Police.

Last week, 2 further shops in Liverpool were closed due to illegal sales; Rathbone Express and Grab and Go, both in Wavertree. Both shops received three-month closure orders at Wirral Magistrates' Court.

Whilst genuine vaping products can be an effective tool for those looking to quit smoking, all the vapes seized are illegal as they exceed the legal limit of 20mg per millilitre of nicotine and 600 puffs.

These illegal vapes, often sold under names like:- 'Unicorn Juice' and 'Strawberry Sensation,' are not only highly dangerous due to their excessive nicotine content but are also worryingly marketed towards children. The disregard for safety and legality by these sellers poses a significant public health risk, especially to younger, more vulnerable members of the community.

The vapes seized by the team are recycled by a Manchester based contractor authorised by Trading Standards North West to recycle these products.

To report anyone selling alcohol, tobacco, or vapes illegally, please visit:- Liverpool.Gov.UK.

For advice and information on ways to quit smoking, please visit Smoke Free Liverpool:- SmokeFreeLiverpool.Co.UK.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:- "The continued work by our Alcohol and Tobacco Unit sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the sale of illegal and potentially dangerous vaping products in Liverpool. Our priority is to protect our residents, particularly our youth, from the risks associated with these unregulated products. We urge people to report any suspicious activities related to illegal vape sales. Those looking for support to quit smoking should seek advice from professionals and use only legally compliant products."

Under 18s lead crime numbers as Merseyside Police records over 600 bus incidents

THE highest number of identified offenders and victims of bus crimes were 15 years old or younger.

Under 18s are the most commonly identified offenders and victims of crimes on buses, according to the latest Police data.

Accident Claims Advice sent a Freedom of Information request to Merseyside Police to learn how many crimes occurred on buses between:- June 2023 and June 2024.

Merseyside Police data reveals that 602 such crimes were recorded in that time frame.

Accounting for all cases where a bus was labelled as the location and the offender's age was identified, the highest number were in the:- 0 to 15 year old range.

39 people aged 15 or under were tagged as offenders, plus 5 people aged:- 16 or 17. In comparison, 18 offenders were:- 36 to 45 years old, while 17 were aged between:- 18 and 25.

7 people aged 66 or older were identified as perpetrating a bus crime, out of 131 in total.

The age was recorded for 481 victims. 115 of them were up to 15 years old, with a further 49 aged:- 16 and 17. In comparison, 16 victims were:- 66 or older, while 62 were in the:- 18 to 25 age group.

The most common time for bus crimes to occur were in the post school hours of:- 3 pm to 4 pm (92 cases) and 4pm to 5pm (67 cases). A further 14 crimes took place between:- midnight and 5am.

Of the 140 cases where gender was ascertained, 97 offenders were reported as being male, with 43 recorded as female. This means that:- 69% of offenders were male, while 55% of the victims were also male. There were 270 male victims, as opposed to 217 identified as women.

214 cases of violence were logged by Merseyside Police, split between:- 147 cases of:- 'violence without injury' and 67 cases of:- 'violence with injury.'

161 Public Order Offences were logged. Public Order Offences can range from rioting and violent disorder to causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress, including:- racial or religious hatred.

Additionally, there were 7 arson cases, and 39 sexual offences, including:- 1 reported rape.

Furthermore, 88 cases of theft occurred on Merseyside buses, including:- 17 cases marked as:- 'theft from the person,' which refers to the non violent theft of items being held by the victim.

AccidentClaimsAdvice.Org.UK offers free compensation claim guidance to victims of violent crime.

They run a 24 hour helpline and an online support feature which can be found on their website.

News reports located on this page = 2.

Stay off the ice! As the country faces the big freeze, Dogs Trust Merseyside issues warning to dog owners

Under 18s lead crime numbers as Merseyside Police records over 600 bus incidents