SHOPS suspected of selling tobacco to youngsters have received a clean bill of health following an investigation by Lancashire Trading Standards.

All 33 shops visited by volunteer children, aged between 11 and 13, in the last 12 months refused to make a sale.

The exercise followed one in 1994/1995 when 70 per cent of shops visited - among them shops in Rossendale and Great Harwood - sold cigarettes to children, .

Now Lancashire Fire Service and Public Protection Committee is to be asked to authorise another operation in 1996/1997.

A report to the committee says: "This dramatic improvement may be partly due to increased publicity and trader awareness arising from the trading standards department's high-profile enforcement of this legislation. "Volunteer children selected for the exercise are aged 11 to 13 years and are vetted to make sure their appearance equates to their age.

"They dress in normal children's clothes with no make-up and are photographed on the day of the exercise.

"The Chief Trading Standards Officer is firmly of the opinion that the methods used by the department are entirely ethical and in accordance with Home Office criteria."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.