A gruesome TV advert showing fat oozing out of a cigarette is boosting quit-it figures among Bradford's teenagers.

More young smokers than ever before are visiting the Stop Smoking bus, which was in town this week for a New Year blitz, offering free advice on how to give up the habit.

The hard-hitting advert features a group of young people sitting smoking round a pub table, with fat dripping out of the end of their cigarettes.

And advertising hoardings across the city show fat inside a cigarette with the warning: Don't clog it.

Stop Smoking Bus co-ordinator Di Woodall, from Bradford District Health Development, said: "It seems the TV advert is really getting through to people, especially younger smokers.

"Some have come on board and they are talking about seeing that advert on television and how revolting it is to them.

"The gunge seeping out of the end of the cigarette is getting the message through to them. It is a very visual approach because once inside you don't know what a cigarette is doing to your arteries.

"People are aware of chronic illnesses and heart disease but associate them with older people.

"A young person may get out of breath or have stained fingers but they are not regarded as life-threatening."

She said it was vital to get the message across to younger people and put them off before they started.

Figures show that 82 per cent of smokers say they started when they were teenagers.

"Teenagers fall into three types," said Di, who has never smoked herself.

"They smoke once and never try it again, they never start or they try it and persist and carry on.

"We have to get to them before they try them, and that can be as young as ten or 11."

She stressed the bus should be treated as a first port of call for general information and advice.

It cannot offer personal, one-to-one advice about how to quit because that would involve knowledge of an individual's medical records.

The bus is in the district every week throughout January.

It is open from 10.30am-3.30am at the following locations:

January 14, Sainsbury's at Keighley; January 22, Netto, Tong Street, Tong; January 28, Tesco, Halifax Road, Buttershaw.

To contact the service, telephone (01274) 363559.