Almost 40% of sellers targeted in an operation by Trading Standards in England were caught illegally allowing under-18s to buy e-cigarette products.Children aged 14 to 17 were sold vaping devices by 246 of the 634 retailers visited between January and March 2016.The operation's report said compliance with rules prohibiting sales to under-18s was "disappointingly low".The British Retail Consortium said major retailers had "rigorous policies and training" to ensure compliance.E-cigarettes deliver a hit of addictive nicotine and emit water vapour to mimic the feeling and look of smoking.The vapour is considered potentially less harmful than cigarette smoke and is free of some damaging substances such as tar.In October 2015, it became illegal for retailers to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s.The operation, which was funded by the Department of Health, highlighted the wide variety of businesses supplying nicotine e-cigarettes and vaping liquids.Most of the illegal sales (68%) were made at markets and car boot sales.High levels of sales were also found at "other" premises, which included independent pharmacies, specialist e-cigarette shops and discount stores.The fewest sales were made by national newsagents, petrol station kiosks and convenience stores, which are generally experienced in the sale of age restricted products and "specifically in the principle of challenging a young person about their age and asking for proof", the review said.

The operation found most of the vaping liquids were flavoured but some could be considered to be particularly "child appealing" - notably bubble gum, cherry cola and chocolate.Trading Standards said the figures should be seen against the results from a 2014 drug survey, which showed that while one fifth of 11-15 year-old respondents had used electronic cigarettes, only 1% were regular users of the products.Leon Livermore, chief executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said that while the results were disappointing it was important to consider them in context."Morethan 2.5 million adults use electronic cigarettes and evidence suggests the products are now the most popular quitting aid for smokers in England," he said."Andthese products are being sold in a wide variety of retailers and many of them will have little or no experience of challenging age restricted sales."Hesaid that where an illegal sale was made, further advice and guidance were given to help the business achieve compliance, but that penalties for the offence can be a fine of up to £2,500.

Nicola Blackwood, the public health minister, said there was strong support for restrictions from businesses when they were consulted, and added: "As the school holidays are upon us, this is a timely reminder of their obligations under these regulations not to sell nicotine products to under 18 year olds."Commentingon the results of the operation, the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association said it welcomed the introduction of legislation to prohibit sales to under-18s and it was "disappointing" that compliance was "so low".Chief Scientific Officer Tom Pruen said: "While e-cigs offer the potential to save many lives by reducing the harm caused by smoking, it is important that they do not form a gateway into nicotine addiction for people, especially teenagers, who do not already use nicotine."Fortunately,e cigarette zorrwhile teenagers appear to be experimenting with vaping, this does not seem to be transferring into regular use, unlike with smoking.e cigarette wetherspoons

"However, this is a genuine concern and one which requires careful monitoring, and responsible action from the industry at all levels."TheBritish Retail Consortium said: "The sale of e-cigarettes and vaping liquids is regulated by law and is subject to the same levels of control as tobacco products."Everymajor retailer has rigorous policies and training practices, including awareness campaigns and till prompts, to ensure that the sale of such products is in full compliance with the law."e cigarette shop hastingsRoses Vape Store - Arnoldmassive sale on eliquid, come in and see us for unbeatable dealsVape and Volts House of Vapes Vape Emporium Smoke NO Smoke Camden Supersave Aldgate Bloomsbury Camden Town Chelsea Covent Garden Ealing Fitzrovia Islington Marylebone Mayfair Notting Hill Shoreditch Soho Southwark Strand Westminster More Areas £ ££ £££ ££££ Accepts Bitcoin Accepts Credit Cards Dogs Allowed Open 24 Hours Wheelchair Accessible

LONDON — The World Famous Portobello Market isn’t what it used to be.on a dank January day here, there weren’t many puffer-jacketed tourists browsing, let alone buying its framed “Star Wars” posters (8 pounds, or about $10, each), handbags shaped as puppy heads (£30 each) or Banksy fridge magnets (£4 each, or three for £10).Twenty years ago, this grandly named emporium was an arcade with 200 antiques dealers.It is now one of eight arcades owned by the Portobello Group, the area’s biggest private landlord, and has been turned into an open-plan gallery selling mass-produced souvenirs.This all-too-typical transformation of one retail outlet encapsulates the dramatic changes and challenges that the entire mile-long market on the Portobello Road has faced in recent years, caught between the dwindling interest in antiques and rising business costs.Now officially in its 152nd year, the market is open daily, with antiques traditionally the main draw on a Saturday.It is in one of the last enclaves of relative scruffiness in the otherwise exclusive Notting Hill district of London.

“This place is about tourism,” said Marion Gettleson, 70, whose family shop, Delehar Antiques, was established in 1919.“There’s no control over the decorative rubbish and who sells what,” added Ms.Gettleson, a vigorous campaigner for the preservation of antiques at the market through the “Save the Portobello Road Market” Facebook page, even though her showroom has largely been given over to the London Tree House’s Paddington Bear-themed gift shop.“There’s still a core of experienced dealers, and astonishing things still sell in this market,” she said.Nonetheless, more of Portobello’s hundreds of indoor and outdoor retail units have been given over to “new goods,” such as Scottish knitwear, amber jewelry and London-themed souvenirs.The 1996-97 “Guide to the Antique Shops of Britain” listed more than 700 active dealers in the Portobello Road arcades.Mark Atkinson, the markets development officer for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which includes Portobello Road, put the current figure at 300 to 400.

“Antiques make Portobello distinct from other destination street markets in London, like Brixton, Camden and Brick Lane,” Mr.Atkinson said.In 2009 the Portobello Group, owned by the British real estate investor Warren Todd, replaced 79 dealers in Lipka’s Antiques Gallery with a branch of the AllSaints fashion chain.The independently owned arcades Geoffrey Van (closed 2010), Good Fairy (2011) and W. Jones (2016) have been further casualties.Yet the tourists come in droves to this market, which, like Venice, millions of visitors want to “experience.” According to research by the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, about 5.5 million people visited the “core areas” of Portobello Road in 2016.About 60 percent on Saturdays came from outside Britain.Significantly, the data, supplied by Vector Research, showed 47 percent were “browsers” — people who did not make significant purchases — with just 15 percent driven by an interest in antiques.“The Lonely Planet guide told us it was a typical place to visit in London,” said Fred Eral, 43, a chemical worker from France, who was visiting with friends.By noon, solitude is hard to come by as the selfie-taking crowd flows northward up Portobello Road toward the stalls where Hugh Grant’s character bought vegetables in the movie “Notting Hill.” “There’s an atmosphere here,” said Lyndon Grady, 54, a dealer in rare and secondhand books.

Grady said she was happy to cater to the tourists pouring past her stall, which displayed hardback editions of Jane Austen, “Winnie-the-Pooh” and “Just William” stories.“I sell a lot to Americans and Chinese,” she said.“The Chinese love poetry.” Ms.Grady’s space costs her £55 for the day.on a recent Saturday, she said she had already covered that expense with £70 of sales.“Today is very dead.The people just look and go,” said Sahin Sheikh.His stall specializes in wooden iPhone covers, priced at £10 each.Nearby, another street trader was trying to sell a Picasso-style ceramic plate.“There’s certainly a segment that’s basically a tourist trap,” said Mr.Atkinson, the markets development officer.Despite these issues, he said he remained optimistic about the market’s future.“Portobello may not be the same as before, and it may not have the same scale,” added Mr.Atkinson, who puts his faith in the so-called analog renaissance among young millennials.

“But the place is important.” He said that visits to Portobello by the pop star Taylor Swift and by the N.F.L.player Brandon Marshall — both widely flagged on social media — were “emblematic of this trend.” Mr.Todd of the Portobello Group did not respond to requests for comment.His son, Ryan Todd, principal of the Portobello Group, said in an email that “‘new goods are of course a problem.”He added: “We do our best to ensure we opt for quality where possible, but quality demand has dwindled of late, and with increased costs to consider, we operate a business and occasionally have to make difficult decisions.” He added that the relentless rise in London’s business taxes, soon to increase again in the Portobello area, was a major issue.However, traders said some antiques dealers were giving up because the market was overrun by tourists and by counterfeit wares.“A lot of dealers are annoyed they’re surrounded by fakes,” said Matthew Holder, 25, one of the younger dealers with a booth in the antiques-filled basement area of the Admiral Vernon arcade, owned by the Portobello Group.