JUST 11.3 percent of Warrington residents smoke, new data from Public Health England has revealed.

That score puts the town just below the national average of 13.9 percent.

Following the news that the town has the best ‘quit-rate’ for smokers in the north west, the Warrington Guardian can reveal that the town ranks 220 out of 315 English regions for the proportion of the population smoking.

Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, Warrington Council cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable premature death in Warrington, killing around 280 people every year, and we want to ensure that people have access to the right support to help them to quit.

“It can be difficult to quit smoking on your own but by getting support you are more likely to not only quit, but not start up again. Smokers can get help when they want to stop, there's lots of fantastic support on offer through LiveWire, and by using the support that is right for you, you'll boost your chance of quitting for good so you can start to live a healthier, happier life.”

Whilst Warrington’s 4.99% quit rate (i.e. 4,993 ‘quits’ per 100,000 people) is the region’s best, neighbouring Cheshire West and Chester has the worst rate with just 0.3 percent kicking the habit.

The worst offender in the north west was Blackpool, with 23.4 percent of its residents smoking.

For more information on SmokeFree Warrington and the stop smoking support and services available, visit www.livewirewarrington.co.uk/lifestyle/stop-smoking or call 0300 0030818.