Firms pay retailers to plug cigs
TOBACCO firms are enticing Scottish retailers to promote their products despite a ban on the open display of cigarettes in shops, a study has found.
Researchers say firms are offering rewards, including cash bonuses, to small businesses in an attempt to boost sales.
Legislation banning the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products in small shops in Scotland came into force in April 2015.
The Display research team – involving Stirling, St Andrews and Edinburgh universities, and ScotCen – interviewed 24 independent retailers north of the border.
Martine Stead, lead author of the study, said: “Tobacco companies are still offering payments and rewards, including lump sums to make recommendations to customers to try a particular brand.” A CYBER yob who cost British Airways £100,000 with his hacking gave a one-fingered salute as he walked free with a £200 fine.
Paul Dixon, 24, smirked as he celebrated with his family outside court yesterday.
A judge heard that the selfconfessed “computer nerd” was only caught after he boasted about his crimes on Twitter.
He bought computer software known as “stresser” to hit Police Scotland, Durham Constabulary, WeBuyAny and British Airways over a week in October 2014.
Dixon was tracked down by cops within days of boasting: “I’m bored. Hit me with a target. I will down it.”
He had admitted five charges of unauthorised modification of computer material in April, and returned to court to be sentenced.
Sarah Wood, prosecuting, said: “This concerns attacks on four different websites over 10 days in October 2014. The first was on the Police Scotland site on October 10. Two and three were against Durham Police. On the 21st, he moved on to CEX, also known as WeBuyAny. The fifth was against British Airways website on the 26th.
“They were denial of service attacks where a site is targeted by inundating it with data. It bombards the site so that when you request the address URL, it either slows down or shuts down.
“You buy ‘stress time’ from websites that are pre-paid as they are for a mobile phone. For that period of time, the website comes under attack.”
Police Scotland and Durham Police sites were able to keep on working slowly, while WeBuyAny was brought down for 15 minutes.
The British Airways attack had a devastating impact, however, bringing it down for 68 minutes,