FORMER Health Secretary Alan Milburn has given activists a huge boost before tonight's House of Commons vote by backing a complete workplace smoking ban.

The Darlington MP puzzled anti-smoking campaigners by staying on the sidelines until now.

But when the vote is taken on whether smoking should be completely banned from all workplaces, Mr Milburn will join other MPs in the pro-ban lobby.

The vote follows last night's controversial Parliamentary votes on identity cards.

It is still not clear whether there will be a majority in favour of a total workplace smoking ban, which would apply to pubs and clubs.

But Mr Milburn's decision to come out in favour of a total ban could be a decisive factor.

As the politician who set up a national network of smoking cessation officers, which has helped thousands of smokers to quit the habit, there was always additional pressure on Mr Milburn to back a total ban.

Latest figures show that between April and September last year, NHS stop-smoking services in the North-East helped nearly 10,000 to quit.

But the former Cabinet minister, who is now a backbench MP, did not rush into making a decision.

He invited constituents to let him know their views, and in recent weeks he has been inundated with hundreds of letters, e-mails and faxes.

Mr Milburn said last night: "My view is that complete workplace smoking ban could make a big contribution to improving public health.

"I intend to write back to all my constituents who wrote to me on this issue to thank them and to tell them how I will be voting."

Mr Milburn's revelation coincided with a last-minute appeal to the region's MPs by the Fresh Campaign for a Smoke Free North-East. Fresh is encouraged that a few more North-East MPs have recently declared themselves in favour of a complete workplace ban, including Newcastle MP Nick Brown and Gateshead East and Washington West MP Sharon Hodgson.

But many more plan to support exemptions for pubs or clubs.

To coincide with Valentine's Day, Fresh is asking MPs to "have a heart" and back a total ban.

Andy Graham, regional co-ordinator for the Fresh campaign, said: "Looking at this purely as a health and safety issue in which everyone deserves protection, there can surely be no option for MPs but to vote for a comprehensive ban, so we are pleading with them to have a heart and do just that."

He said a complete ban "would be the quickest way to rectify the health inequalities faced by our region".

The move was echoed by Councillor Mick Henry, chairman of the Association of North-East Councils, which is backing a complete ban.

Professor David Phillips, from the Institute of Cancer Research, said: "The Institute of Cancer Research strongly supports a total ban on smoking in all workplaces - including private members clubs.

"We urge MPs to look at the scientific evidence when voting. Smoking is linked to 14 types of cancer and is responsible for around 50,000 cancer deaths each year in the UK.

"It is not only smokers who are at risk, there is also compelling scientific evidence to show that passive smokers are at an increased risk of cancer as well."

The pro-smoking group Forest is writing to MPs urging them to support smokers' freedom of choice.

Backed by celebrities such as artist David Hockney and TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson, Forest argues that it is up to the individual to decided whether he or she wants to use a legal product.