15 cases pending against PJ Carroll

Cigarette manufacturer PJ Carroll was facing 15 separate product liability cases in the Irish courts at the end of last year.

The claims against the tobacco seller are confirmed in its latest set of annual accounts, which show that the growth in illicit trade in cigarettes last year hit pre-tax profits at the Dublin-based firm.

The British-owned firm last year recorded a 9% decrease in pre-tax profits to €7.7m. In addition, revenues fell 4% — from €34.5m to €33.17m in the 12 months to the end of December.