HEALTH professionals have teamed up with council chiefs to tackle smoking after it was revealed that one-quarter of Bury residents have not kicked the habit.

Operation Tobacco Alliance has been launched in Bury to reduce the number of adults who smoke to one in 10 by 2020.

The aim of the scheme is to stop children and young people taking up smoking, motivate more smokers to quit and encourage adults not to smoke around children.

Council bosses say they will stamp out under-age sales of tobacco products and clamp down on illicit tobacco reaching the community.

The last health survey for Bury, conducted in 2008, reported that 22 per cent of adults across the borough smoked. However, smokers are more likely to be among the non-responders.

For free confidential advice on quitting smoking: call the stop smoking service on 0845 223 9001 or text QUIT IT with your name and post code to 81066.