A new-look stop smoking team has been launched to help the borough's residents give up cigarettes for good.

Officially launched this month, the Be Well Stop Smoking Service offers support to people wanting to quit smoking.

The team will be engaging with residents in the community, providing specialist guidance and a variety of options for those looking to quit.

The launch coincides with the start of Stoptober, the annual campaign that encourages people to stop smoking.

Events have already been held in Marsh Green, Beech Hill, and Golborne, and more pop-ups are planned across the borough in the coming weeks.

Councillor Chris Ready, Wigan Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for communities and neighbourhoods, said: "If you’re a smoker, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health and the health of those around you, significantly reducing your risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other long-term conditions.

"Quitting can be difficult, but evidence shows you increase your chances of success with the right support – which is where our Be Well Stop Smoking Service comes in, offering people the help they need to give up smoking for good."

The Be Well Stop Smoking Service is an expansion of Wigan Council’s previous stop smoking initiative and forms part of a wider plan to reduce tobacco use and work towards a smoke-free generation.

This effort is backed by additional central government funding.

Despite a decline by 20,000 since 2011, the number of adult smokers in the borough remains higher than regional and national averages, with around 40,000 adult smokers, or 15 per cent of the population.

Councillor Keith Cunliffe, deputy leader of Wigan Council and portfolio holder for adult social care and health, said: "We’ve made significant strides over the past decade, but smoking remains one of our major public health challenges and one of the biggest causes of preventable illness and death in the borough.

"The launch of our Be Well Stop Smoking Service is a welcome milestone, supporting the wider ambitions of our Smoke Free Wigan Partnership with targeted activity, and increasing the range of support options available to residents who are looking to quit."

The Be Well Stop Smoking Service will also visit Tyldesley and Atherton on October 22, and Platt Bridge and Worsley Mesnes on October 31.

For more information on the Be Well Stop Smoking Service, or to get support to quit, visit their website.