A Southampton MP has joined forces with a city doctor to get branding removed from tobacco packaging.

John Denham , MP for Southampton Itchen , met Dr Bindu Gopinathan Nair at Westminster to discuss Cancer Research UK’s campaign aimed at discouraging young people from starting to smoke.

The Answer is Plain campaign, which calls for all branding to be banned, hopes to get as many people as possible to sign their campaign before the Government closes its consultation on plain cigarette packaging on August 10.

Dr Nair, a researcher on the development of novel imaging techniques for early detection of cancer, said: “We must protect our children from the dangers of tobacco.

“I urge my fellow constituents in Southampton Itchen to show their support by signing the campaign petition. So many people’s lives are touched by cancer.

We can all do our bit to help stop children from taking up this deadly addiction.”