Imperial Tobacco Group on Friday lost an appeal to overturn a ban on cigarette vending.

The ruling by the Court of Appeal upholds a decision by the High Court in December 2010, which rejected Imperial subsidiary Sinclair Collis' legal challenge to the 2009 U.K. Health Act. The act includes legislation to ban sales of tobacco from vending machines from 1 October 2011.
Imperial Tobacco in a statement said it will ask the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The company has also asked the court to delay implementation of the vending ban until the appeal has been decided. (pi)