Banning e-cigarettes in public 'could put smokers off using them to quit'

Banning e-cigarettes in public could put smokers off using them to help them quit, health officials have warned.

Some medics have called for restrictions on places where e-cigarettes can be used saying it is still unclear what the long-term risks are.

But Public Health England said if such a policy was in place it could be "damaging" for those trying to kick the habit.

Dr Iain Kennedy, who proposed the restrictions, also called for a ban on the the use of the chemical diacetyl in e-cigarettes.

Diacetyl has been linked to scarring and constriction of the tiny airways in the lungs when inhaled.

He said that the chemical, which is used to create a buttery flavour in some flavoured e-cigarettes, is "already a concern among the e-cigarette community".