APPROVAL of a European Union plan to outlaw menthol cigarettes has been described as "controlling, nannying nonsense" by Wirral's UKIP MEP Paul Nuttall.

The move has been given the go-ahead by the parliament's Environment Committee in Brussels despite opposition including from the UK Independence Party.

The committee also agreed that electronic cigarettes should be regulated like medicines and Mr Nuttall, who is a member of the committee, said after the vote yesterday: "This is illiberal, controlling and nannying. 

"Cigarettes kill people and it is plainly wise for smokers to give them up. E-cigarettes, which help smokers quit, kill no-one but here we have them being effectively banned. This is just crazy nonsense."

Mr Nuttall, UKIP deputy leader, went on, "Banning menthol and other flavoured cigarettes is also nuts.

"Do these Eurocrats really think that people don't realise they are smoking potentially harmful substances when they use them? No, of course smokers don't.

"If they were really serious about the health of EU citizens they would ban cigarettes altogether. But instead they actually subsidise tobacco production in countries including Greece and Bulgaria.

"Decades ago people did not know how harmful cigarettes are.

"No-one now doubts the serious health consequences and in a free society it is up to citizens to decide for themselves how to live their lives, not to be dictated to by faraway bureaucrats in Belgium.

"The legislation also includes banning 'slim' cigarettes as it believed they lead gullible young women into smoking. That is just patronising to women."

Mr Nuttall continued: "The pharmaceutical lobbyists are calling the tune here.

"E-cigarettes are in effect in direct competition with nicotine patches, so ensuring they are labelled as medicinal brings them under the wing of big pharmaceutical companies and away from the small firms currently selling them as they will not be able to compete financially."

The proposal is now to go before the EU plenary session in September for approval.