This sniffer dog will be hunting for smokers' illicit tobacco in Portsmouth
HOUNDING out illegal tobacco is set to get easier when trading standards hit the streets with a highly-trained companion.
Portsmouth City Council officers will be searching for bootleg, smuggled or counterfeit products with the help of a sniffer dog.
Around 27 per cent of city smokers buy illicit tobacco.
The dog will be outside Debenhams in Commercial Road on July 25 and outside Tesco Fratton the next day between 10am-4pm.
Councillor Matthew Winnington is cabinet member for health at the council.
He said: 'All tobacco is harmful but illegal tobacco makes it easier for people to start smoking, particularly young people, and they tend to smoke more due to the cheaper prices.'