A RELATIVE newcomer to the UK vaping market has criticised rivals over flavours allegedly designed to appeal to youngsters.

America's largest e-cigarette supplier, Juul, has blasted other firms which sell varieties based around popular sweets and milkshakes.

Vape Dinner Lady (VDL) already had a range based on desserts, including apple pie, lemon tart and strawberry custard varieties.

And last month it launched a new sweet shop based line, with lemon sherbert, apple sours and water melon slice flavours, among others.

Juul, which launched in the UK earlier this year, after securing a large slice of the Stateside market., is adamant that the approach of their British competitors is wrong.

Dan Thomson, the company's UK chairman, said in a national newspaper: "Juul has never, and will never, offer flavours or packaging that would appeal to children."

A spokesman for VDL, which is based in Wilkinson Way, Guide, said: "Vaping companies need to address the concern about their products appealing to children - in fact it’s our responsibility.  Vaping is a very misunderstood industry and it’s up to the leading companies to talk about it and address important issues head on.

“Speaking purely on behalf of Vape Dinner Lady, we would like to clarify that our products are categorically not aimed at children. It is illegal to sell vaping products to under-18s.

 “As only adults can legally buy our products, the Vape Dinner Lady brand is entirely based on marketing sweet products to an adult audience, which is why we have such a massive focus on nostalgia.

“Our branding is deliberately old school and based on traditional flavours that will appeal to grown-ups with a sweet tooth and a sense of fun.

“The focus on marketing sweet flavours to adults has made our Lemon Tart flavour, for instance, one of the best-selling in the world.

“All that said, we take the suggestion that children might be inadvertently drawn to our products very seriously."

A spokesman for the UK Vaping Industry, responding to similar criticisms, has said: "Fortunately the popularity of vaping among adult smokers is not matched by any significant take-up of vaping among young people.

"Flavours play an important role in incentivising smokers to to switch to vaping."

It is against the law to sell e-cigarettes or vaping products to under-18s and regulations exist to prevent the marketing of such lines to young people.

Martin Cockrell, Public Health England's tobacco control programme lead, was behind research released earlier this year on the impact of vaping and e-cigarettes.

He said: "Our report found no evidence so far to support the concern that e-cigarettes are a route into smoking among young people.

"UK surveys show that young people are experimenting with e-cigarettes, but regular use is rare and confined almost entirely to those who already smoke.

"Meanwhile, smoking rates among young people in the UK continue to decline."

Blackburn is also home to market leader Totally Wicked and Darwen plays host to Vampire Vape.