WARWICKSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service is supporting the national Stoptober campaign being held this October.

In the region in 2015, more than 4,489 made an attempt to quit smoking for good while 2,209 were successful in their attempt.

One of the reasons the fire service's community fire prevention and arson manager, Moreno Francioso, is backing the campaign is due to the number of fires caused by smoking.

"Every six days, someone dies from a fire caused by cigarettes or smoking materials," Mr Francioso said.

"Careless handling and disposal of cigarettes is the single biggest killer in house fires across the country and we would like to urge as many people as possible to join the challenge to quit smoking."

Warwickshire County Councillor John Horner, portfolio holder for community safety, said: ‘We are encouraging everyone to use the Stoptober campaign as an opportunity to kick the habit for good.

"Not only will this increase your health and well-being, but it will also reduce the chances of you having a fire in your home and therefore will help to keep both you and the people you care for safe.”

Councillor Matt Western, chairman of the resources and fire and rescue overview and scrutiny committee, added: ‘We understand that not every smoker wants to stop, but Stoptober provides people with a great opportunity to think about the benefits of kicking the habit."

For more details on the campaign visit nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober.