NORTH-EAST children will be given a strong reason never to smoke after a vote in the House of Lords that will mean cigarettes will be sold in plain packs.

The UK now joins Australia and Ireland in introducing the new policy.

Standardised packaging will be introduced at the same time as the European Union measures on packaging and labelling, on May 20, 2016.

The measure is intended to help protect the next generation of children and young people from starting to smoke.

Two-thirds of current smokers started when children, and half all lifetime smokers will die from smoking related disease.

Two-thirds (69 per cent) of North-East adults support standardised packaging.

Research by Fresh with young people found Australian standardised packs were rated as the least attractive and had the most noticeable health warnings, and the brand 16-24-year-olds would be least likely to try.

Lisa Surtees, acting director of the North-East tobacco control office, Fresh, said: “This is a landmark vote that means tens of thousands of North-East children will be given one of the strongest reasons yet never to smoke. Tobacco kills 15 people a day here in the North-East and we don’t wish today’s teenagers to become part of that terrible statistic tomorrow.

“Instead of glossy, colourful exciting brands, children will see cigarette boxes that really convey the fact that tobacco kills one in two smokers and that smoking related-diseases can cause years of misery and suffering.”

Commenting, Nicky Strong, regulatory lawyer at law firm Bond Dickinson said: “If the law makes no positive impact on smoking take-up and sees tax revenue to the Treasury fall, this will be widely judged to have been a mistake. These changes will certainly be contested and the Government will have to provide the evidence that appears to be lacking at the present time.”