CALLS for an all-out smoking ban in public have been backed by a leading health expert in East Lancashire.

The call to protect people from second-hand smoke and to help smokers quit has come from Dr Ellis Friedman, director of public health for Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust (PCT).

His support follows the findings of the Big Smoke Debate - in which the vast majority in Lancashire wanted an outright ban.

The results showed seven in 10 in the North West would like cafes, restaurants, offices and shopping centres to be smoke-free.

It also revealed that 84.3 per cent of Lancashire folk would prefer all public places to have a ban - after more than 14,000 people responded in the survey.

The findings follow claims that between 3,600 and 12,000 people die in Britain each year from the effects of second-hand smoking.

The North West Public Health Team, who organised the debate, also said that 700 people die each year from passive smoking in the workplace.

Research shows East Lancashire is the only area in England where female smokers out-number the men - 29 per cent are women compared to 28 per cent of men.

And Dr Friedman said: "This compares with 27 per cent of adults still smoking across the country, which has gradually been reduced from 30 years ago when 45 per cent of the population smoked.:

He added: "We may have slightly higher figures than the national average but great strides are being made by the Stop Smoking Service to help people to quit.

"And the figures also mean the majority in our area do not smoke - and want to be protected from smoke in public places, and that is understandable."

Dr Friedman, whose role covers the health of nearly 250,000 people, pointed out that, over the past year, nearly 1,500 people have been helped to stop smoking, a 50 per cent increase on the previous year.

The PCT's Smoking Cessation team, supported by council-backed teams in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, helped 2,738 people in 2003, with a 56 per cent success rate in Burnley, 50 per cent in Pendle and 57 per cent in Rossendale.

Fore details about the Stop Smoking Service, contact 01282 607002.