I READ that the Friarage and James Cook hospitals will ban smoking across their grounds from April 1 (Echo, Feb 19).

It may, of course, be an early April Fool's Day ruse!

I am a frequent patient at the University Hospital of North Durham (formerly Dryburn, in Durham) and am always appalled at the amount of smoking taking place at the entrances by visitors and patients, some of whom I have seen out there with drips attached.

I am a rabid non-smoker having had one draw of a cigarette only in my life but have seen most of my family suffer or die from smoking.

I do feel for patients not being able to have a fag as a crutch at a difficult time in their lives, but I find seeing people sitting about smoking under notices banning it hard to stomach.

It is also sad to see the amount of fag ends and chewing gum at the hospital entrance.

I wish the South Tees Hospital NHS Foundation Trust every success with their campaign, but I feel they are wasting their breath!

Malcolm Rolling, Carrville.