France to ban smoking in public places including at beaches and parks

France plans to ban smoking on beaches, in parks, outside schools and in other locations from July - (Jonathan Brady/PA)

France will ban smoking in all outdoors areas frequented by children, including beaches, in parks and outside schools from July.

The ban, which follows similar measures across an increasingly smoking-averse Europe, will exempt cafe outdoor terraces and will not apply to electronic cigarettes, the government said.