Blair blocks F1 tobacco ban three months after £50,000 donation

Ministers last night insisted they had simply "clarified" the new law to ensure it did not extend to races outside Europe. But furious anti-smoking campaigners accused the Government of putting profits before lives.

Formula One bosses have been lobbying Mr Blair for months over the interpretation of the new laws banning the use of sporting events to promote tobacco.

In particular, they wanted him to rule out potential prosecutions over foreign Grand Prix broadcasts in this country until the sport implements its own global ban in October 2006.

Mr Blair secretly approved the concession last week to the intense dismay of officials in the Department of Health, The Independent on Sunday has learnt.

Labour was forced to return a secret £1m donation by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in 1997 to counter claims it had influenced an initial total exemption for F1 from the ban.

Now it faces fresh questions over its links with motorsport after receiving another substantial donation.

David Richards, the former head of BAR-Honda, a team heavily dependent on the backing of British American Tobacco, and a leading opponent of the ban gave the party £50,000 in April and signed a letter of Labour-backing businessman.

Mr Richards, who has been tipped as a potential successor to Mr Ecclestone, has called today's ban "ludicrous".

Richard Caborn, minister for sport, denied that the donation had affected the decision. The Government had simply responded to end confusion over the scope of the law and of an EU directive on tobacco advertising, also in force from today, he said.

"This is about making clear what the law says," he said.

But Deborah Arnott, head of ASH, said, "Yet again Formula One has got its foot in the door of No 10 and is being allowed to continue to promote deadly products to young people through sport.

"This is the weakest interpretation of the law and any government which truly cared about public health would be testing it in the courts, not giving up without a fight."