The government’s new proposals to stop children buying cigarettes from vending machines would be impossible to carry out pub landlords have claimed.

The health bill, to be debated in Parliament next week, would require bar staff to check people’s ID before operating the vending machines with a remote control.

However, a news survey of pub landlords by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found nearly two-thirds of landlords thought it would be impossible to do during busy periods.

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) also said the proposals would be a significant extra burden on their business.

The government’s proposed legislation would effectively make staff responsible for sales to anyone underage, campaigners say.

And today’s survey found that actually three quarters of landlords would rather remove cigarette vending machines from their pubs than risk prosecution for underage sales.

According to the survey 82 per cent of landlords described the revenue they received from cigarette vending machines as "unimportant".

The British Heart Foundation has now called on the government to introduce a full ban on vending machines as the only way to protect children from smoking.

Peter Hollins, chief executive of the BHF, said: "The government’s proposals are unworkable and unrealistic. The message from the pub industry is loud and clear, they can’t make these proposals work and the loose change they make from these machines isn’t worth the hassle of keeping them.

"The only people with a real interest in vending machines are the tobacco industry.

"Every year young people start a life time’s addiction on cigarettes by buying them from a vending machine. The government needs to be braver and put the interests of children ahead of a commercial lobby."

The BHF claims last year 12 per cent of children and young people who were regular smokers usually bought their cigarettes from vending machines in England.

Mr Hollins added: "We don’t allow other age restricted products like alcohol, fireworks or knives to be sold from vending machines. These are only sold where there is a face to face transaction over the counter.

"Smoking is one of the biggest avoidable causes of death and disease in the country. Yet we continue to allow vending machines which undermine the restrictions already in place, and allow children pick up an addiction they take into adulthood."

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