Ministers top unveil sweeping ban on shops offering unhealthy snacks and sweets at the tills

Ministers are to unveil a sweeping ban on shops offering unhealthy snacks and sweets at checkouts in a bid to clamp down on soaring obesity rates and poor dental health.

The Mail on Sunday understands that health officials plan to roll out the restriction in the coming weeks despite most major supermarkets already removing products voluntarily.

The move is part of Whitehall’s plan to halve childhood obesity in England by 2030. 

But most major supermarkets such as Tesco and Waitrose have already banned sweets and chocolate from being stocked near tills.

However, Health Minister Steve Brine has warned colleagues that other outlets, including high street clothing firms, have begun to stock sweets at their checkouts.

There will be an exemption for smaller shops and newsagents in plans that will be put out for public consultation before the end of the year.

The plan – branded as ‘nannying’ by critics – is the latest measure to be adopted from the Government’s Childhood Obesity Strategy following the implementation of the sugar tax in April.

Health Minister Steve Brine has warned colleagues that other outlets, including high street clothing firms, have begun to stock sweets at their checkouts [File photo]

But Christopher Snowdon, the director of lifestyle at the Institute of Economic Affairs, hit out, saying: ‘The suggestion that moving chocolate away from supermarket tills will have any effect on an obesity problem caused by physical inactivity is ludicrous.’