HOLIDAYMAKERS returning home to Scotland's two main airports are being targeted from today in a new crackdown on bootleg tobacco.

A new poster campaign showing a man being held by officials over a seizure of cigarettes is being launched at Glasgow and Edinburgh.

It comes as many families return home following the summer holidays, unaware that cheap cigarettes bought on holiday are costing the public purse £2 billion annually in lost revenue.

Giles Roca, director general of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association, said the campaign would serve as a warning to those bringing bootleg tobacco into the country.

"We are delighted to be working on this campaign, which is designed to send a clear message that bringing back tobacco from abroad and selling it on is a criminal offence," he said.

"Illegal tobacco causes untold damage to legitimate retailers who rely on tobacco sales to drive footfall to their stores; it is time to take a stand against this crime."