“My daughters are 10 and 12, and I don’t want the way vapes are marketed, promoted and sold to be attractive to them,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday as he launched a crackdown to protect children from “rogue companies and online crooks”.

Announcing the new set of measures aimed at curbing under-age vaping, Sunak said expressed his shock at reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of schoolchildren.

Taking to Twitter, the father of schoolgirls Anoushka and Krishna said: “My daughters are 10 and 12, and I don’t want the way vapes are marketed, promoted and sold to be attractive to them.” “That’s why I am launching a new crackdown today to protect children and go after the rogue companies and online crooks who are putting vapes into their hands,” he said. A loophole that allows retailers to give free samples of vapes to children in England is set to be closed under the new plans. While selling vapes to under 18s is illegal in the country, businesses have been found to be targeting children with colourful packaging of free samples.

The UK government has also announced that there will be a review into banning retailers selling “nicotine-free” vapes to under-18s. “I am deeply concerned about the sharp rise in kids vaping and shocked by reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of school children,” Sunak said in a statement. “Our new illicit vape enforcement squad – backed by GBP 3 million – is on the case, but clearly there is more to do.