Radical plans to ban smoking in London parks 'could become blueprint for Britain'

London is facing a "public health emergency" according to a new report that suggests thousands of acres of parkland and landmarks in the capital - 40% of the city - should be made smoke-free zones.

The recommendations could become a blueprint for the rest of Britain, according to report author and cancer specialist Lord Darzi.

"The ideas and proposals in this report have been developed for London. Yet they could just as easily apply to other big cities in the UK - London should be a leader, not an exception," he said.

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, where all of the city's parks and beaches are smoke-free areas, said it would be a "major achievement" for London to adopt the proposals.

More than a million Londoners smoke, with 67 of the city's schoolchildren taking up the habit every day and 8,400 people in the city dying each year from the effects of tobacco, the report said.

Lord Darzi said: "As a cancer surgeon working in the NHS, I see the terrible consequences for smokers and their families. We must do more to help people quit and discourage kids from taking it up."

Anti-smoking campaign group ASH welcomed the report but Simon Clarke of pro-smoking group Forest said a ban would be "outrageous".

In a blog post he wrote: "A ban on smoking in parks and squares would be outrageous. There's no health risk to anyone other than the smoker. If you don't like the smell, walk away.

"Tobacco is a legal product. If the Chief Medical Officer doesn't like people smoking in front of children she should lobby the Government to introduce designated smoking rooms in pubs and clubs so adults can smoke inside in comfort.

"The next thing you know we'll be banned from smoking in our own gardens in case a whiff of smoke travels over the fence."

London has more than 20,000 acres of parkland, covering 40% of the city.