The Department of Health have released figures which show a dramatic fall in heart attack rates and claim the smoking ban has been the cause.

The number of attacks in England fell by 10% in the year that followed the introduction of the smoking ban in July 2007. In Scotland, the drop was 14% and a third study is currently underway in Wales.

These latest figures will increase the pressure on the Government to impose the ban in other areas with Ministers already looking to target smoking in cars. Anti-smoking groups are also calling for smoking to be banned in homes that have children.

This study follows recent Department of Health research which discovered that the smoking ban has failed to increase the number of people who quit smoking. The number of men who smoke has risen since July 2007 while for women there was no change.

In Britain, 9.4million adults smoke and 114,000 die each year from smoking-related diseases. 275,000 people per year suffer a heart attack and nearly 150,000 die.

Someone with damaged or narrow coronary arteries increases their chances of triggering a heart attack if they smoke.