Imperial Tobacco Group’s subsidiary cigarette vending machine company, Wolverhampton-based Sinclair Collis, is seeking a judicial review of the relevant sections of the Health Act 2009, which

seek to ban sales of tobacco from vending machines from Octoboer 2011.

Gareth Davis, chief executive, said: “Legal action is always a last resort but the Government’s decision to ban cigarette vending machines is so disproportionate and unnecessary that it must be challenged.

“We do not want children to smoke and supported the Government’s proposal to stop underage access through the introduction of electronic ID cards, token mechanisms and remote control technology.

“These are effective solutions which have been implemented in a number of other countries and it is a matter of great regret that the UK Government ultimately chose to disregard all of these options in favour of a ban that will result in significant job losses in the vending industry.”