AN independent review of cigarette packaging has been welcomed by the Worcestershire Tobacco Control Alliance.

The review is due for completion in March and it could lead to the implementation of standardised cigarette packaging in England, something which the alliance’s chairman, councillor Marcus Hart, is backing.

The alliance believes taking away the powerful marketing tool of packaging will discourage people from finding smoking appealing or fashionable.

Coun Hart said: "As chair of the Worcestershire Tobacco Control Alliance Group, I welcome the news that the government is moving the review of standardised packaging forward.

“The body of evidence to date shows that attractive packaging does influence young people encouraging them to take up smoking.

“We anticipate that Sir Cyril Chantler's review will confirm this, and hope that tight regulation will quickly follow, saving the lives of future generations."

Evidence shows almost two thirds of smokers in 2009 took up smoking before they were 18 and statistics from Worcestershire County Council show only six per cent of smokers started smoking over the age of 25.

Smoking remains the biggest single avoidable cause of premature death and half of all long term smokers will be killed by their smoking habits.

According to Cancer Researh, every year 100,000 people in the UK die of a smoking-related illness.