Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter element (14) produces a more uniform tar delivery profile without an unacceptable pressure drop by causing the cigarette smoke to assume a progressively longer flow path through an outer cylinder (20) of higher flow resistance filter tow material before passing radially inwardly through a cylinder (24) of microfine fibres into a low resistance flow path (26) to the smoker's mouth. The progressively increased flow path results from progressive clogging of the cylinder of microfine fibres by filtered material as smoking of the cigarette progresses.