by Katie Alston

Banning tobacco displays will boost black market trade in the region.

That is the fear of Kent retailer Debbie Corris who manages specialist tobacco store Jim Ingram's in Whitstable.

According to a new survey by the Tobacco Retailers Alliance, which represents 26,000 independent shopkeepers across the UK, 79 per cent of corner shopkeepers in the region believe a ban on tobacco displays in shops will increase illegal sales of cigarettes.

The findings come as the government considers outlawing all tobacco displays in shops, in an effort to reduce the numbers of youths smoking.

If given the green light, supermarkets in England would be the first to adhere to the ban in 2011, followed by corner shops in 2013.

Mrs Corris, who is also the south east spokesman for the Tobacco Retailers Alliance said: "If you take away the right of all retailers to display tobacco, it's going to be the corner shopkeepers who are hit hardest.

"If smokers aren’t aware a shop such as mine sells tobacco, they are going to be all the more tempted to get it from car boot sales or sellers on street corners."

"Why wouldn’t they, when smugglers can sell at half the price that I can? If they force us to sell it from under the counter, they are forcing the whole trade under the counter and the sale of dodgy tobacco will only increase."

She added: "Young people don’t take up smoking because they see cigarette packs on display, they start smoking because of peer pressure and because they want to look older than they are."

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