One in five shops 'will sell tobacco to children'

One in five shops in the UK is willing to sell tobacco to children, Government research has suggested.

The review of trading standards figures, carried out by the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS), found that 18% of shops would sell tobacco products to underage buyers in test purchases. It also found that children were able to buy tobacco products from vending machines in 58% of test purchases.

And for retailers who are caught out, LACORS says that the fines are too small. It found that from 72 charges, 33% of fines were for less than £100 and 79% for less than £350.

Paul Bettison, LACORS chairman, said: "Our research has shown that more work must be done with businesses to make sure that they request ID every time a young person tries to buy cigarettes and that people keep a stricter eye on cigarette vending machines, which present easy avenues for supply."

However, the Association of Convenience Stores said that the test purchasing figures were a "poor measure of the performance of shops in preventing underage tobacco sales".

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: "Trading Standards Officers generally conduct test purchases at shops that have been the subject of complaints or other local intelligence.

"So the figures in this report show that of the premises suspected of selling tobacco to those underage around one in five were proved to be breaking the law, rather than one in five of all retailers. This is an important distinction."

He also pointed out that, since 1 April 2009, retailers caught persistently selling tobacco to under-18s have faced a ban from selling tobacco of up to one year, as well as the fine of up to £5,000.