COUNTY Durham has a new chief in the fight to stop smoking in workplaces.

Dianne Woodall has been appointed by primary care trusts (PCTs) in the county and in Darlington to lead efforts to cut down on smoking

She will encourage the owners of premises such as bars and restaurants to introduce bans on lighting up or to create no-smoking areas.

She said: "I will be focusing on working with other tobacco control workers in the PCTs to raise awareness about the danger of second-hand smoke and the importance of increasing smoke-free environments for local people

"In the North-East, there are over 5,500 smoking-related deaths each year. However, this statistic hides the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer poor health as a result of active or passive smoking.

"We hope to encourage organisations and public places to implement no-smoking policies and to provide an environment where smokers who wish to stop smoking can be supported and encouraged."

Miriam Davidson, the Durham and Chester-le-Street PCT's public health director, said: "Every year, there are more deaths associated with exposure to tobacco smoke in the workplace than any other cause. Existing evidence is already sufficient to implicate second-hand smoke as a cause of lung cancer and coronary heart disease."