The number of illicit cigarettes seized (2013-2023) - Find a freedom of information request

1. The number of illicit cigarettes seized, broken down by year, in the last ten years (2013-2023).

2. The amount of hand-rolling tobacco seized, broken down by year, in the last ten years (2013-2023).

3. The number of Trading Standard officers in operation seizing illicit cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco in your area, and the number for each of the last ten years (2013-2023).

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

Please below table for the seizure figures. 

In relation to trading standards officers, we can only provide information for the length it is held for, 6 years.  This can only be provided this how it is held, by financial rather than calendar year.

The number of full time equivalent (FTE’s) officers per year is as follows:

2018/19 - 27.80

2019/20 - 31.01

2020/21 – 30.00

2021/22 – 33.00

2022/23 - 31.00

2023/24 – 35.41

Note the FTE figures above equate to the whole of the Trading Standards Service, not those dedicated to tobacco work.  LCC cannot provide an exact figure for this each year as the information is not held. 

The number of people in each team changes throughout the year, as does the priorities of each team.  To give an approximate figure, there are around 6 FTE’s committed to tobacco related work at any one time.    

Please note:

•  In line with our retention policies, data is only held for 6 years.  Therefore not all requested years can be provided. 

•  Cigarettes are counted in packs of 20 cigarettes, i.e 10 = 200 sticks or 10 packs of 20.  Data is provided for both individual numbers and packs. 

•  Hand rolling tobacco is counted in packs of 50g, i.e. 10 = 500g or 10 packs of 50g tobacco.  Data is provided for both individual numbers and packs.