A major supermarket has come under fire after announcing it will ban a popular product from all of its stores.

Waitrose announced it will no longer sell single use vaping products, despite a “rapid growth” in their popularity in the last year.

The nearest Waitrose outlets to East Lancashire can be found in Walton-le-Dale at the Capitol Centre, and at Charnock Richard services on the M6 near Chorley.

In a statement, the supermarket said: “While we have robust controls under our Challenge 25 Policy, we are concerned about the risk these products pose by appealing to younger people - as well the environmental impact.

“Our move comes as reports suggest that the market growth is being fuelled by the popularity among those who haven't previously smoked.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Charlotte Di Cello, commercial director for Waitrose, added: "We are a retailer driven by doing the right thing, so selling single use vapes is not something we could justify given the impact on both the environment and the health of young people."

"We had already decided it wasn't right to stock the fashionable bright coloured devices which are seeing rapid growth - so this decision is the final jigsaw piece in our clear decision not to be part of the single use vaping market."

However, the move has been met with opposition from some.

Neil McLaren, co-chief executive of vaping.com/UK, slammed Waitrose’s decision, calling it “virtue signalling”.

He said: “Waitrose will be happy with some cheap headlines following their decision to stop selling disposable vapes. But the virtue signalling move reeks of hypocrisy since they're happy to keep selling cigarettes.

“The supermarket should take cigarettes - the most littered item on the planet - off the shelves instead of carping on about vapes.

“If they stop selling cigarettes then they can make a real difference to public health and the planet. But if all they want is cheap headlines, then woke commentary from the PR department seems to do the job.”