CHILDREN as young as 13 were able to buy cigarettes from vending machines at half of all the pubs and hotels visited in the county-wide investigation.

In the checks, 30 licensed premises, ranging from top hotels to village pubs, were visited by young volunteers working for North Yorkshire County Council’s trading standards department. In half the premises visited they were able to walk in and buy cigarettes from vending machines without being challenged. Following the results the county council has welcomed a vote by MPs to scrap all cigarette vending machines.

County councillor Clare Wood, executive member for trading standards and planning services said: “Following our checks, it was apparent that the existing legislation covering cigarette vending machines, which is 75 years old, was well out of date. I’m pleased that our call for the law to be changed has been heard.

“Our trading standards officers have been working with retailers to introduce the ‘Challenge 21’ initiative, in relation to the over-the-counter sale of a wide range of age-restricted products, such as tobacco, alcohol, knives and fireworks. We needed to tackle the anomaly which allowed children to get hold of cigarettes from a machine without a face-to-face transaction.”

Last week, MPs supported a backbench amendment to outlaw cigarette vending machines in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The vending machine amendment to the Government’s Health Bill was passed by the Commons without going to a vote. It now goes to the House of Lords for final approval. It could also mean that shops would have to keep stocks of cigarettes out of sight.