Smokers in UK hotspot may be offered £400 if they ditch the habit under new plan

Smokers could be paid as much as £400 in cash to ditch the habit if plans for a groundbreaking new health scheme go ahead.

Cheshire East Council has introduced the proposal in a bid to discourage its residents from sparking up.

The county has one of the worst rates of smokers compared to the national average - which includes around 10.5 per cent of its residents and 10.8 per cent of pregnant mums to be.

And the figures are no longer going down, prompting experts to look at new approaches to help people ditch the habit.

The council's Adults and Health Committee discussed the initiative on Monday.

Around 78,000 people in the UK die from smoking each year (Getty Images/Westend61)

Financial incentive schemes could be an effective way of helping people to quit smoking, it found according to evidence.

Researchers recorded people receiving an incentive such as cash payments or goods vouchers were around 50 per cent more likely to have stopped smoking than those who did not get incentives, the report explained.

Those taking part in the scheme would have to undergo exhaled carbon monoxide tests to prove they were giving up and be paid in instalments of up to £200 for the general public and £400 for pregnant women.

Cheshire East Council wants to encourage its residents to give up smoking (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Smoking remains the leading cause of cancer in the world and preventable in the world and is the "most important modifiable risk factor" within pregnancy.

Cheshire East Council hopes that the initiative will support its aims to lower health inequalities across the borough and help children to have the best start in life if it goes ahead.

Those taking part in the council's scheme could receive up to £400 in cash (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"Reducing smoking rates in pregnant women will improve the short and longterm health outcomes of infants and their families," the report said.

Cheshire East Council currently encourages people to stop smoking through the One You Cheshire East service.

The authority highlights that smokers are three times more likely to give up for good if they work in a group or one to one with a health coach rather than going it alone.

They offer these services through the One You Cheshire East service.

Those taking part would have to take tests to prove they were giving up (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A formal decision report is set to be given on July 18 following the latest discussions on Tuesday.

Every year, some 78,000 people in the UK die from smoking while many others suffer with life changing smoking related illnesses.

Cigarettes are a leading cause of many types of cancer and are responsible for 70 percent of lung cancer cases in particular.