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A "one issue" political party has been set up to campaign against EU rules on the sale of electronic cigarettes.

The "Vapers in Power" group plans to field two candidates in the General Election, using money raised from a crowdfunding drive.

Liam Bryan, 43, will stand in his local seat of Kingswood, Bristol, using £1,500 he raised on IndieGogo in little over a week.

"Our chances of getting elected are non-existent," he told Mirror Online. "We hope our chances of fighting the e-cig laws are slightly higher.

"One issue is enough for me. I'm not a politician and I wouldn't want to be."

(Image: Indiegogo)

The legislation which has angered vapers - a notoriously touchy group at the best of times - is called the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).

Bryan said this EU law will ban advertising of e-cigs and weaken the strength of the 'hit' offered by each device by limiting the amount of nicotine in the liquid.

His party also fears it will destroy the small businesses which have cropped up to sell e-cigs and other vaping devices.

"I've always voted, but the main parties represent me less and less," Bryan added.

"Labour were instrumental in steering the e-cig laws through the EU, but they didn't want to meet with vapers or hear our concerns.

"E-cigs are amazing devices with the potential to prevent millions of smoking-related deaths."

Vapers in Power exists on a shoestring budget, depending entirely on the "generosity of vapers, their families and some of the small e-cig businesses that the anti-e-cig law threatens".

The party's official headquarters is in a quiet suburban London street in Finchley.

It hopes to field a second candidate in Barnsley East, depending on whether another fundraising drive is successful.

We asked Amanda Sandford, information manager at the anti-smoking group ASH, if Vapers in Powers' fears over EU laws were justified.

"We think e-cigs are more likely to be a force for good than bad," she said.

"There is clearly a vociferous element amongst the vaping fraternity who feel strongly on these issues.

"However, we think the European regulations are appropriate because we would not want to see these products promoted in a way which encourages adult non-smokers and children to use them."

She predicted that regulations could "put further burdens" on small businesses which sell e-cigs, which could lead to big tobacco firms dominating the market.

E-cigs are becoming increasingly popular and have been added to the Office of National Statistics "shopping basket" which is used to work out the cost of living.

However, a number of scientific reports have claimed there are possible health concerns around vaping.