SMOKERS may be so ashamed about their habit that they are lying to health officials.

Public health experts from the North-East are suspicious about the results of a survey that suggests only 18 per cent of people in County Durham and Darlington smoke.

Two years ago, a wider North-East survey found that 29 per cent of people smoked.

A recent unpublished survey of smokers in South Tyneside said even fewer people smoked - down to only 16 per cent of the population

Officials from the North East Public Health Observatory said: "We have no way of knowing whether the low figures produced in our survey indicated any decrease in the prevalence of smoking or whether the increasingly hostile environment for smokers is causing more people to lie about their habit."

Smoking is the UK's single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death costing the NHS £1.7bn a year.

The smoking figures are part of a general health and lifestyle survey carried out on behalf of the six County Durham primary care trusts earlier this year.

Experts from the Public Health Laboratory analysed the results from 8,630 people who filled in the survey.

Figures showed a strong relationship between deprivation and health throughout the survey, confirming the results of an earlier survey carried out on Teesside last year.

Significant links were found between deprivation and a range of health risks including smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity and depression.

The study will be discussed at the next meeting of Durham and Chester-le-Street PCT on Thursday