'Illegal' vapes are being sold to children as young as ELEVEN as thousands seized by police in huge crime crackdown

Thousands of suspected illegal vapes, which are reportedly being sold to children as young as 11, were seized by police as part of a huge crackdown on crime across Salford on Tuesday (July 18).

Video footage shared by Greater Manchester Police has revealed the moment bags full of electronic and disposable vapes, which are suspected to be illegal, were taken from a property in Irlam.

It was part of Operation Avro, which is a force-wide initiative that deploying specialist officers to districts within Greater Manchester each month.

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A statement shared by the force online said they had received reports that children as young as 11 were being sold 'dangerous, counterfeit nicotine vapes' at local shops in the area.

Working with Trading Standards on Tuesday, officers visited a number of offending shops and seized over 1,000 vapes which they suspect are being sold illegally.

As part of their updates, which also saw weapons and drugs warrants executed and vehicles seized during the crime crackdown in Salford, police revealed that bags brimming with the vapes were taken away as part of investigations into the selling of illegal electronic cigarettes.

On Tuesday (July 18), more than 24 people were arrested, as police said illegal vapes are 'bad for public health' and also 'fund organised crime' in the region.

Just last week in the region, thousands of illegal vape products were also seized during a clampdown on underage e-cigarette sales. Trading Standards raided shops across Bolton and took away 2,270 vape products after many concerns were raised about the illegal sale of vapes to under-18s.

The news comes days after local authorities in England