A campaign to slash the amount betters can risk on machines dubbed "crack for gambling addicts" has been backed by Hounslow Council .

The maximum stake for fixed-odds machines in bookmakers is currently £100 a spin, but there are calls for the Government to lower the legal limit to £2.

Hounslow Council has added its weight to those demands by calling for the £2 limit in its updated gambling policy.

Councillor Richard Foote, cabinet member for community safety, said: "People have the right to have a flutter if they so choose but these machines have been described as crack for gambling addicts and people in danger of developing a problem.

"As things stand, we cannot stop bookies putting in these machines but we have to keep an eye on how the community is affected and ensure that the numbers of these shops don't become a blight on our high streets.

"To us it seems absurd that someone can put what is for some people a week’s wages on a bet in a game in which they have no human contact with a member of staff who might responsibly caution them against making too rash a decision."

The council's new 'Statement of Gambling Principles' also includes measures designed to make it tougher for new bookies to open in the borough.

Should the policy be adopted, those wishing to open gambling outlets would be required to carry out a full risk assessment of the surrounding area to prove the new venue would not be detrimental to the community.

Anyone living or working in the borough can have their say on the new policy here during an eight-week public consultation running until December 14.

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Should the max stake on fixed-odds betting machines be reduced?