Licensed premises in Brighton and Hove have begun selling electronic cigarettes as an alternative to punters looking for a nicotine kick.

The battery-powered substitutes, dubbed “e-cigs”, contain liquid nicotine capsules and produce steam when exhaled.

The controversial product, which has been banned in Australia, is being stocked by the Prince of Wales and the Regency Tavern in the city.

Aron Barnes, the landlord of the Regency Tavern in Russell Square, Brighton, said: “It looks, feels and tastes like an ordinary cigarette.

“Because we don’t have an outside smoking area it’s something which we can offer to smokers as an alternative.

“It’s only the same as a nicotine patch except you can actually control how much goes into your system.

“The more we explain, the more and more people are trying them.”

E-cigs, which can be charged either through a socket or USB port, are on sale for about £5.

They can be used inside public areas because no flame or smoke is produced.

But critics claim the product presents a danger, particularly to young people.

Brighton and Hove city councillor Geoffrey Theobald has spoken out on the subject.

As chairman of the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services, which oversees trading standards in councils across the country, he said: “It is disturbing that these products are on sale in Britain without a warning to people about the high nicotine content and the danger they present to children.

“The Government needs to introduce new laws to force manufacturers to restrict sales to people over 18.

“Councils are testing as many of these e-cigarettes as possible and protecting people by dealing with the issues relating to incorrect packaging and labelling.”

E-cigarettes have also appeared in other businesses in the city.

Stuart Morris, the manager of Marketplace Brighton in Meeting House Lane, said: “We’ve only just started stocking it so it’s too early to tell if its a popular alternative.

“But it ticks all the boxes from a variety of tests and checks. We’ll just have wait for feedback from our customers.”

By Tim Ridgway.