An electronic cigarette comprising a generally cylindrical housing with a proximal mouth end and a distal end, and within the housing: a vaporiser to produce vapour to be delivered to the mouth end, a battery, and sensor circuitry to detect a user drawing on the mouth end and connect the battery to power the vaporiser to produce vapour, the vaporiser comprising: a tube having inlet and outlet ends and extending longitudinally of the housing, supports at opposite ends of the tube for directing airflow into and out of the tube from the inlet to the outlet, a porous matrix (18, 19) containing a vaporisable liquid extending around the tube, wicking fibres extending through side openings (14a,b) in the tube and configured to wick the vaporisable liquid from the porous matrix into the tube, and an electrical heater coil in the tube configured to be powered by the battery to vaporise liquid on the wicking fibres in the tube, so that vapour is supplied along the tube to the outlet end when the user draws thereon, characterized in that the wicking fibres diverge from one another from the side openings and are spread over the outer surface of the tube so as to contact and receive the vaporisable liquid by capillary action from the matrix. a vaporiser to produce vapour to be delivered to the mouth end, a battery, and sensor circuitry to detect a user drawing on the mouth end and connect the battery to power the vaporiser to produce vapour, the vaporiser comprising: a tube having inlet and outlet ends and extending longitudinally of the housing, supports at opposite ends of the tube for directing airflow into and out of the tube from the inlet to the outlet, a porous matrix (18, 19) containing a vaporisable liquid extending around the tube, wicking fibres extending through side openings (14a,b) in the tube and configured to wick the vaporisable liquid from the porous matrix into the tube, and an electrical heater coil in the tube configured to be powered by the battery to vaporise liquid on the wicking fibres in the tube, so that vapour is supplied along the tube to the outlet end when the user draws thereon, characterized in that the wicking fibres diverge from one another from the side openings and are spread over the outer surface of the tube so as to contact and receive the vaporisable liquid by capillary action from the matrix. a tube having inlet and outlet ends and extending longitudinally of the housing, supports at opposite ends of the tube for directing airflow into and out of the tube from the inlet to the outlet, a porous matrix (18, 19) containing a vaporisable liquid extending around the tube, wicking fibres extending through side openings (14a,b) in the tube and configured to wick the vaporisable liquid from the porous matrix into the tube, and an electrical heater coil in the tube configured to be powered by the battery to vaporise liquid on the wicking fibres in the tube, so that vapour is supplied along the tube to the outlet end when the user draws thereon, characterized in that the wicking fibres diverge from one another from the side openings and are spread over the outer surface of the tube so as to contact and receive the vaporisable liquid by capillary action from the matrix.