Illegal vapes seized, House of Fraser demolition, St Helens panto breaks box office

😙💨 More than 1,000 illegal vapes with a street value of £12,000 have been seized in an operation involving Liverpool City Council's Alcohol and Tobacco Unit, Merseyside Police and Public Health Liverpool. The stings, which were made at three premises this week, are the latest part of a crackdown on the sale of counterfeit vaping products. The requirements restrict e-cigarette tanks to a capacity of no more than 2ml, providing a maximum of 600 puffs. Full story on LiverpoolWorld

💣🏗️ The demolition of the former Birkenhead House of Fraser is expected to be finished by March 2024. The building closed in 2020 but was later bought by Wirral Council for £2.1m. Plans were put forward to build a brand new Birkenhead Market and between 84 and 89 homes on the site, but the market plans have now been scrapped, and the future of any housing scheme remains uncertain. Full story on LiverpoolWorld

🎫💰 Christmas wishes have come true in St Helens as theatre management has announced that their festive pantomime Aladdin has officially broken all box office records to be their most successful panto ever staged. The seasonal production has sold 37,000 tickets.