George Wood/Getty Images
Smoking outside pubs and restaurants could be banned under new legislation being considered by ministers.
Reports in The Sun suggest smokers would be prohibited from lighting up outside boozers, as well as sport venues, nightclubs and in parks.
Secret Whitehall papers suggest Labour could also resurrect Rishi Sunak’s flagship smoking ban, which was shelved before the election.
Under the plans, the age at which people can buy cigarettes will increase progressively until a point that it is outlawed entirely.
Responding to the claims, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We do not comment on leaks.
“Smoking claims 80,000 lives a year, puts huge pressure on our NHS, and costs taxpayers billions.
“We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the harms of second-hand smoking.
“We’re considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free.”
Related: Man who threw objects at Nigel Farage on campaign bus gets suspended sentence
