The total number of inspections carried out at vape shops or retailers selling vaping products

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please provide the following information for the most recent 12‑month period for which you hold complete data.

1. Number of Inspections by Team For each relevant team (e.g., Environmental Health/Health & Safety Enforcement and Trading Standards):

● The total number of inspections carried out at vape shops or retailers selling vaping products.

● Please provide figures broken down by team.

2. Inspection Forms, Checklists and Criteria For each team:

● Copies of any inspection forms, checklists, templates, or officer guidance used when inspecting vape shops or similar retail premises.

● If no vape‑specific documents exist, please provide the general retail inspection forms used.

3. Compliance and Enforcement Outcomes For each team, please provide:

1. The total number of inspections carried out.

2. The number of premises found to be non‑compliant with any aspect of the inspection criteria.

3. Of those non‑compliant premises, the number that resulted in enforcement action, including (but not limited to):

○ written warnings

○ improvement notices

○ prohibition notices

○ product seizures

○ fixed penalty notices

○ prosecutions

4. If available, a breakdown of the types of non‑compliance identified. 5. Enforcement Policies and Procedures For each team:

● Any internal policies, procedures, or officer guidance relating to how inspection criteria are assessed, checked, and enforced during vape shop inspections.

Confirmation of whether the key items listed on inspection forms/checklists are routinely checked and actively enforced.

6. Officer Training and Briefing Materials

● Any training materials, briefing notes, or internal communications provided to officers regarding Health & Safety or Trading Standards issues associated with vape shops.

1. Trading Standards – 125 inspections. A further 166 test purchase visits

2. There are no specific inspection forms or checklists used exclusively for vape inspections. Instead, general retail inspection forms are used. These capture key details such as the name, address and contact details of the business, the date of inspection, and the contact details of Trading Standards and the inspecting officer. The forms include three main sections: (i) details of what was examined during the inspection; (ii) any matters identified that may constitute an offence, including the relevant legislation; and (iii) any requirements or recommendations for the business to ensure compliance with the legislation.

3. Of the 125 inspections:

59 were recorded as fully compliant on first contact/visit

16 were recorded as minor non-compliance on first contact/visit

35 were recorded as major non-compliance on first contact/visit

1 was recorded as fully compliant on revisit/follow Up

5 were recorded as major non-compliance on revisit/follow up

Those non-compliant premises, the number that resulted in enforcement action, including (but not limited to) was: 4,

190 Vapes Seized

30 investigations commenced

13 Closure Orders issued

3 Fixed Penalty Notices issued

4. Non disposable vapes for sale, not in compliance with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. Disposable vapes for sale in breach of the The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024

5. Please see attached Enforcement Policy

6. The information you have requested is exempt from disclosure under Section 31(1)(a) and Section 31(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Should you require the attachment mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and this can be provided.