POTENTIALLY dangerous illegal cigarettes are easier to buy in Glasgow than they were a year ago, it was claimed today.

Test purchasers found cigarettes and roll your own tobacco being sold at sites across the city - including near two high schools.

Former Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector Will O'Reilly, who headed up the investigation, said: "Overall, the test purchasers found it easy to obtain illicit tobacco products in Glasgow.

"Compared to our investig-ation a year ago, they found they were able to generally make more purchases on this occasion - even over a shorter period."

The Evening Times first told of the problem 12 months ago.

A year later, on the team's first day in Glasgow, they completed 16 transactions in six hours.

On the second day, during 45 minutes at the Barras, six transactions were made.

Purchases took place in premises in Pollokshaws Road, Victoria Road, Duke Street, and Allison Street - just yards from two secondary schools.

In Pollokshaws Road a woman sold two packs of cigarettes called Brass for £4.50 each, a brand never seen previously by the experienced test purchasing team.

In a shop in Duke Street, a male assistant sold for £6 a pouch of roll your own, which he took from a large bag by his feet.

Three purchases were made at separate corner shops on Allison Street.

At the Barras the team found illicit tobacco products were easily obtained, with sellers shouting "cheap tobacco" or "cheap fags for sale".

They made six purchases in the market from four dealers.

In one area, one carton of Fest and one carton of Email were sold for £35 each.

In another area, a man advertising tobacco sold a 50g pouch of roll your own for £7 which he fetched from under a traffic cone nearby.

Mr O'Reilly, who was employed to carry out the study by cigarette giant Philip Morris International Inc, said: "Our test purchasing team found tobacco products incredibly easy to obtain."

Counterfeit products have been found to contain as much as 30 times the lead levels of genuine tobacco.

Levels of toxins in fake tobacco - including tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, lead, cadmium and arsenic - are all significantly higher than genuine brands.

A Glasgow Trading Stan-dards spokesman said: "Our primary concern is always the safety of consumers.

"All tobacco products carry a substantial health risk; however there is some evidence that counterfeit products can contain more contaminants."

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk