FIVE new jobs have been created as a new nationwide vape shop opened its new store in Worcester.

The new VPZ store brought with it an £80,000 investment and the creation of five new jobs when it opened.

This will be the 146th branch of VPZ to open in the UK as the retailer plans to treble its store numbers by 2021.

The Worcester store will be equipped with a carbon monoxide testing monitor and lung capacity monitor allowing customers to regularly track their progress in quitting smoking.

VPZ director Doug Mutter said: “We are excited to be opening the doors of our Worcester store as part of our ambitious growth plans across the UK.

“At a time when many businesses are exiting High Streets across the country, we are committed to creating jobs and investing in communities throughout the UK like we are doing here in Worcester.

“Each new store opening helps us to achieve a greater reach, providing us with a platform to engage and educate even more smokers on the benefits of switching to vaping.

“We believe that it’s important to thank our customers and continue to support them on their journey to becoming cigarette free.”

The store, located in the Shambles, officially opened its doors on Wednesday, November 27, and staff are already in place.

VPZ is now open in the former Smart Ideas card shop in the Shambles, which has been empty for more than a year.

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An application had been submitted to Worcester City Council asking to turn it into a restaurant, but the application was withdrawn in March this year.

According to the NHS stop smoking service, vaping is not completely risk free but carries only a fraction of the risk of smoking.

The liquid used in e-cigarettes can still contain harmful chemicals, but not in doses as high as in cigarettes.

On the NHS website, it says: “Many thousands of people in the UK have already stopped smoking with the help of an e-cigarette, and there is growing evidence that they can be effective.

“A major UK clinical trial found that, when combined with expert face-to-face support, people who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking were twice as likely to succeed as people who used other nicotine replacement products such as patches or gum.”