TEN-year-olds and younger are using nitrous oxide and teens have been seen staggering into traffic after inhaling it as the widespread use of the drug in Bolton was revealed.

Council scrutiny watchdogs heard many small shops in the borough were ‘out to make a fast buck’ by selling the substance, also known as 'hippy crack' to under-age children and measures to prosecute shopkeepers who knowingly sell to children were being stepped up.

Regulatory services officer Kelly Hopkins said:”All members will be familiar with the tiny gas canisters. The small ones we see quite frequently as litter.

“They are commonly found across the borough where young people gather in groups.and are used recreationally with gas discharged into a balloon and inhaled.

“It’s incredibly risky behaviour which creates a short lived high which makes you laugh, hence the name laughing gas.

“We had some CCTV footage of some young people inhaling nitrous oxide in Bolton and they were staggering in the street, walking into traffic, it was incredibly dangerous.

“They just don’t know how much they’re taking. They are drinking alcohol too and looking for an additional high.

Cllr David Wilkinson said: “I support the prosecution of shopkeepers knowingly selling it. Clearly these people realised there was a fast buck to be made in the back of young people.

Cllr Wilkinson said he had seen evidence children aged 10 and under were consuming the gas and said that was ‘extremely dangerous and worrying’.

Miss Hopkins said the council’s powers were limited in enforcing the sale of the gas to young people as it was a police matter but they had been seizing canisters when conducting operation to seize illicit tobacco and alcohol.

She said nitrous oxide was ‘freely available from convenience stores around Bolton’.

She added: “There is increasing evidence corner shops in Bolton are selling cartridges on an individual basis. There is more and more intelligence from the public.

“It is illegal to supply for psychoactive use but to sell for other they wouldn’t be committing a crime and there is no penalty for possession.”

She said there was evidence some shops sold the gas alongside balloon to inhale the gas and a gadget called a cracker which opens canisters

“We have had number of seizures recently nitrous oxide as trading standards work to combat illicit tobacco and huge amounts of canister have been taken away.

Cllr Hilary Fairclough, licensing cabinet member, said: “We as a council do everything we can within our powers on this. We we actively looking to prosecute.

“But we must look to government to tighten up measures in making people not allowed to sell these. Businesses are just out to make money on the back of young people.

“Pretending the whole world wants to have whipped cream. They’re advertising this with the products together.

“It’s not an under the counter job.”