Hounslow Council has seized thousands of dodgy vapes worth almost £100,000 before they could be supplied to local shops and is now calling for stricter regulations on vaping amid rising fears for young people in the borough.

Around 3,000 of the dangerous, illicit vapes worth £98,065 were seized by Hounslow Council at Heathrow Airport. The products, which were later destroyed, are suspected to have been shipped from China and included fake versions of popular brand Elf Bar.

Many of the vapes bagged by the council had tank sizes bigger than 2ml – the maximum amount of e-liquid allowed in the devices under UK laws – and appeared to offer up to 14,000 puffs per vape. It is believed that shops in the local and surrounding areas would have been supplied with the potentially dangerous counterfeit products.

Vapes should have a maximum tank size of 2ml and they should contain no more than 2 per cent nicotine, equivalent to around 600 puffs. The nicotine liquid should not contain any additives or any ingredients such as caffeine or taurine.

The council is particularly worried about the number of children vaping in the borough. Doctors and trading standards officials have warned that vapes are growing in popularity among young people, despite it being illegal to sell the products to under-18s in the UK.

Counterfeit vapes have been linked to worrying symptons such as coughing up blood, headaches, chest pains, nose bleeds and dizzy spells. Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, leader of Hounslow Council, said: "Businesses supplying counterfeit vapes have an utter disregard for people's health motivated purely by selfish financial gain.

"We are increasingly concerned about the number of children and young people vaping in the borough. That is why we need to ensure strict regulations and controls over vaping – protecting the next generation's health."

Vapes which had not been registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and those which did not have the correct labelling were also seized by the council.