A COUNCIL is to expand its crusade against smoking by banning the habit in communal areas of its sheltered accommodation for pensioners.

Residents in Derwentside have been able to smoke while chatting to friends and fellow residents, but under the new rules they will only be able to smoke in their own rooms.

Derwentshire District Council said the ban was being introduced after a majority of residents said they were in favour of the idea.

The council has already banned smoking in its offices, community centres, sports centres and car parks and recently became the first in the country to put up signs near children's play areas asking people not to smoke.

Council spokesman Sunder-Rajan Narashiman said: "Some people were initially unsure about the communal areas of the sheltered courts going smoke-free but the survey that we carried out revealed tenants were in favour of a no-smoking policy.

"In most of the courts very few tenants smoked in the communal areas anyway."

Tenants who want to give up smoking will be given support by Derwentside Primary Care Trust.