Campaigners against plain tobacco packaging – which could threaten jobs in Bradford – are hoping to persuade new Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to abandon the idea.

They will urge a rethink after more than 50 MPs of all parties, including Mark Pawsey, chairman of the all party packaging group, attended a House of Commons event hosted by Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe.

Attendees were alerted to the danger of encouraging a flood of counterfeit tobacco products into the UK as well as possible print and packaging job losses if proposals to remove branding from cigarette and other tobacco packs go ahead. The Government must respond within three months following a public consultation which generated around half a million responses – one of the highest ever for such an exercise.

Mr Sutcliffe, a non-smoker, is supporting the campaign because he believes forcing tobacco products into plain packets would encourage more counterfeit tobacco products in the UK which would pose more of a threat to health than regular products.

Mr Sutcliffe, a former employee of Field Packaging, at Lidget Green , Bradford, which was taken over by Chesapeake, said: “No-one doubts that we need to persuade more young people against smoking but forcing companies to use plain packaging is not the right way to proceed. It would only encourage more counterfeiters and pose a threat to jobs in the print and packaging sector.

“The reception was very good and reflected a high level of interest from MPs from all parties, showing there is widespread interest in and concern about the proposals. We’ll be holding more events in future and will also be approaching the new Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to try to get him to reconsider the idea of plain packaging.”

Companies campaigning against plain packaging include the Weidenhammer Packaging Group, which operates a £10 million factory at Buttershaw , Bradford, and Chesapeake, which has a finishing plant at Lidget Green, which between them employ more than 100 people.

Ralf Weidenhammer, boss of the German-based Weidenhammer Group, added his weight to the campaign, saying: “At a time when all Europe is facing huge economic challenges, it is crazy to even consider something that will destroy further jobs and business activity and open the floodgates to counterfeiters. When a complete ban on retail display of tobacco products is in its early stages, it is inexplicable that yet more onerous restrictions are being contemplated.”

Industry group spokesman Mike Ridgway, a former senior executive of both Weidenhammer and Chesapeake, said: “The House of Commons event provided a great opportunity to brief and update MPs about the issues.”

More than 20 former police officers have raised concerns about the risk of encouraging counterfeiting through plain tobacco packs.