Call for cigarette vending ban

Ray Mallon was first elected as mayor in 2002

The elected mayor of Middlesbrough is calling for pubs in the town to get rid of cigarette vending machines.

Ray Mallon believes the move would help stamp out underage smoking.

Establishments which volunteer to do so will receive a signed certificate and be added to a "roll of honour" in a council newspaper sent to households.

His call follows a Trading Standards operation which found that only two out of 10 pubs stopped a 13-year-old buying cigarettes from machines in the town.

The future of cigarette vending machines is one of the topics that the government is consulting on before developing a new national tobacco strategy.

Mr Mallon said: "The government has recognised that there is a problem here, but where children's health is concerned we can't afford to wait for laws to be introduced.

"I want to do all I can to stamp out the underage smoking in our town.

"I am asking bar owners to work with Middlesbrough Council and the Middlesbrough PCT by voluntarily removing these vending machines from their premises."

He added: "I hope that faced with the evidence we have, everyone will support this latest initiative to help stop underage smoking."