Thousands of Cigarettes Go Up In Smoke

9 March 2010, 12:12 | Updated: 9 March 2010, 13:00

Thousands of fake ciggies torched as smugglers warned: “Your money will go up in smoke”

30 thousand counterfeit cigarettes went up in smoke at Horsham Fire Station on Friday (March 5) afternoon.

The cigarettes – 1500 packets of phoney Benson & Hedges – were torched by West Sussex County Council Fire and Rescue Service firefighters on behalf of the County Council Trading Standards Service.

Peter Evans, the County Council Cabinet Member responsible for both services, said: “The message is quite straightforward – the policy of our Trading Standards Service is to confiscate and dispose of counterfeit cigarettes. That means tobacco smugglers will find their money – quite literally – going up in smoke.”

The cigarettes were initially seized by Sussex Police at a private address in Steyning and handed over to the Trading Standards Service because they contravened trademark and safety legislation.

The Fire and Rescue Service also used the event to highlight its support for National No Smoking Day, which is on Wednesday March 10.