Eltham: Residents Meet The Sniffer Dogs Helping Royal Greenwich Stay On The Trail Of Illegal Tobacco

by our RGB Correspondent | Eltham

Residents and shoppers in Eltham and Woolwich had the chance to meet the specially trained dogs that are helping the Council to sniff out those guilty of selling illicit tobacco.

* l-r (back row) Cllr Jackie Smith, Stuart Phillips,
Cllr Denise Scott-McDonald;
front row: Yoyo, Scamp, Phoebe. (Credit: RBG)

The visit on Monday and Tuesday this week was part of the South East London wide ‘Keep It Out’ campaign set up by the Royal Borough of Greenwich with five neighbouring boroughs to highlight the dangers of illegal tobacco.

The two day roadshow visited Passey Place in Eltham and General Gordon Square in Woolwich where residents had a chance to watch sniffer dogs Yoyo, Scamp and Phoebe giving a detection demonstration. The roadshow also gave out information about how to identify illegal tobacco products and the health dangers they pose, as well as details of how to report retailers who illegally distribute the products.

Cllr Denise Scott-McDonald, the Royal Borough’s Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing and Public Health, said: “Smoking remains an important public health issue for us, and our campaigns in Greenwich have successfully reduced the level of smoking in the borough. This makes it all the more important for us to tackle illegal tobacco as readily available cheap tobacco, sold without restrictions, encourages young people to start smoking and discourages current smokers from quitting.”

Cllr Jackie Smith, the Cabinet member for Community Safety and Environment, said: “It’s time that we stamp out illegal tobacco for good. People might be lured in by the cheap price tag, but it’s worth considering the great cost to your health, safety and community. Illegal tobacco supports other criminal activity and has many damaging effects on our local communities, as well as causing poor health.”

* Sniffer dog Scamp demonstrates his skills.
(Credit: RBG)

Stuart Phillips, detection dog handler for BWY Canine, the company supplying the dogs, said: “We’ve used the dogs as a big part of engaging with the public and it’s been very successful. People have learned a lot and are more aware now and it acts as a deterrent for those who are involved with illegal tobacco.”

The sniffer dogs have played an active role in a number of recent prosecutions, including last month’s conviction of a Plumstead trader who hid counterfeit Polish cigarettes in a disused printer behind the counter. The offender was fined £1000 and ordered to pay costs totalling £2412, after the cigarettes were uncovered by a sniffer dog during an inspection by Trading Standards.

Residents are encouraged to report suspected sales of illegal tobacco by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06 or via the online form at www.keep-it-out.co.uk.