The Supreme Court denied tobacco companies permission to appeal last November’s ruling by the Court of Appeal upholding the government’s right to impose plain packaging, the Guardian said.

Cigarette manufacturers had complained the law, which took effect last May, infringes on their intellectual property rights because it removes branding from packaging and imposes a uniform pack design. A 12-month grace period to sell old inventory ends 20 May 2017. The Supreme Court decision removes the last domestic legal route to stop standardised packaging, the Guardian said.