BIG tobacco offers Scottish stores cash prizes, gadgets and hospitality to get around the cigarette display ban, research has found.

The display ban introduced by the Scottish Government was supposed to stop multinational tobacco firms using in-store promotion to rack up sales.

But work by Scottish researchers found major companies are directly targeting small businesses in an effort to bypass the restrictions.

Corner shops, garages and newsagents interviewed for the study revealed how they had been offered money, iPads and hospitality in return for “preferential practices”.

These included retaining a tobacco unit, maintaining stock availability, positioning products to maximise prominence, a push on sales, new stock trials and brand promotions.

The interviews were conducted after the ban on the open display of tobacco came into force in April 2015.

Researchers say the Scottish Government may now have to consider offering incentives to retailers to stop them selling tobacco and end the influence of manufacturers.

The study, conducted by the Display team — a collaboration between the universities of Stirling, St Andrews and Edinburgh, and social research centre ScotCen — follows reports of similar incentive-driven schemes in Australia and Canada, which also have point-of-sale bans.

Lead author Martine Stead, of the Institute of Social Marketing at Stirling University, said: “The tobacco industry has, for many years, incentivised retailers to stock and sell tobacco, and to display particular brands prominently on their shelves.

“We might have expected that these practices would decline following the ban on open displays because customers can no longer see the products. However, our study suggests that is not the case. The tobacco companies rely on retailers even more to promote tobacco, now that displays are covered up. They are still offering them payments and rewards, including substantial lump sums to make verbal recommendations to customers to try a particular brand.”

The paper, published in the BMJ’s Tobacco Control journal, says display bans “do not prevent” cigarette firms from “attempting to exert influence on retailers via their sales reps”.

Researchers said this influence may be more critical following this year’s introduction of plain packaging.

They say a complete ban on company payments to retailers may be needed to end the practice, as well as limits on the number of shops allowed to sell tobacco in any area, a ban on sales near schools and the introduction of incentives to quit selling the products.

Sheila Duffy, chief executive of anti-smoking charity ASH Scotland, told The National she was “disappointed” by the actions of manufacturers. She said: “The retailers’ profits on tobacco are tiny but the tobacco companies are making a killing.”

On the recommendations, she said: “I like the suggestion that we should start looking at banning company payments to retailers, and restricting the number of retailers in one area.

“We have eight tobacco retailers for every pharmacy in Scotland. It’s easier to buy poison than medicine.”

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said the Scottish Government is “exploring other ways” to create a tobacco-free generation by 2034, adding: “The recommendations made in the Display study and many others will be carefully considered.”

But Giles Roca, of the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association, said: “This is a desperate attack on a legitimate consumer goods industry for supporting and working with retailers in a way which is no different from any other industry working in a similar competitive environment.”