Halton Council has welcomed new laws which ban attractive packaging for cigarettes.

Tobacco now has to be sold in drab green boxes with dramatic visual health warnings.

Halton Cllr Marie Wright, board member for health and Wellbeing, said: “This is a very important day for public health.

“Hundreds of children start smoking every day so moving away from the bright and glamorous packets that attract children is a massive step in preventing early death and disease in Halton.”

Companies will be given a year to sell old stock.

Andrea Crossfield, chief executive of Healthier Futures which campaigned for the legislation, said: “Smoking spreads death and disease as well as untold grief to thousands of families all over the country.

“In the north west four out of five children who try smoking do so before they are 14 years old and around 18,000 children start to smoke each year.

“This is a victory for our children and young people.”