Retailers across North and West Yorkshire are still breaking the law over butane gas sales to young people, according to a trading standards report.

But the majority of shopkeepers are obeying the new rules which came into force in October making it a criminal offence for any retailer to sell cigarette lighter refills to anyone under 18.

Only four shops - two in each county - sold the gas in a survey carried out by staff from the Northern Counties Group of Trading Standards Services who visited 67 retailers in West Yorkshire and 29 in North Yorkshire.

Gordon Gresty, head of trading standards in North Yorkshire, said: "It is still disappointing that any retailers are illegally selling butane, despite the high numbers who are complying with the law. Those who are complying with the regulations are to be commended for their vigilance."

The legislation was introduced following 549 deaths which occurred between 1971 and 1997 and were directly attributed to the abuse of gas lighter refill canisters. And figures revealed that 53 per cent of the deaths involved young people aged between 14 and 18-years-old.

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