The days of the "puff huts" are no more for new nonsmokers Sharon Brennan and Shirley Firth.

Bosses at Bradford Royal Infirmary, where the pair work, ultimately aim to phase out the smoking huts altogether as it goes totally smoke-free.

But the two catering assistants have taken the lead and are helping each other to quit cigarettes for good this year.

And that means no need to visit the outdoor shelters dubbed "puff huts."

Going into one for the Telegraph & Argus photographer two weeks after quitting, cries rang out and they couldn't get out quickly enough.

Both have now achieved a fortnight smoke-free with help from the Stop Smoking service and they urge anyone else to stop thinking about it - and do it.

Sharon, 50, of Thornton, relies on a nicotine-replacement inhaler to get over the cravings. When she weakened and tried a cigarette she was physically sick.

She said: "I admire people who don't smoke now, especially people who have managed to stop themselves. I used to think it was cissy not to smoke. It has been much harder than I thought it was going to be, much harder. " Shirley, 41, of Bell Dean, sticks a nicotine patch on her chest and says she already notices the extra cash in her purse. Her habit was costing her around £6 a day and she now aims to go on holiday in Mexico with her savings.

She said: "The puff huts are awful places. When it rains you get wet on all sides. It is so awful that probably helped us to stop."

Her half-hour lunch-break is also far more leisurely, as before she used to eat her meal then dash off to make sure she had three cigarettes before returning to her work.

The mother-of-two also said her age was now a factor.

"I have turned 41 now and you do start thinking about these things and about how much longer you are going to be around, " she said.

Both women have smoked since they were 13-year-old schoolgirls and used to get through about 30 a day.

Neither of their husbands smoke and both are backing the T&A's Clear the Air campaign launched to get the smoking-related death-rate in the city down.

Both have been thinking about stopping but have never quite done it. Their pal Christine Taylor got them interested and now, after a consultation with the experts at Stop Smoking in Bradford, they're on their way.

Sharon said: "The house doesn't smell any more. I notice it's a lot cleaner and my clothes don't smell now.

"If we are weakening we can tell each other - and buy some chocolate. It's a question of having something for your fingers to do."

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said they are on the road to phasing out smoking areas - even puff huts - totally.

There are now only two designated areas - one at BRI and one at St Luke's - and the longterm plan is for 100 per cent non-smoking.

The NHS this week issued no-smoking guidelines to hospitals across the Yorkshire and Humberside region on how to achieve it. A spokesman for the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "There is a commitment to develop smoke-free premises with a ban on smoking on our estate. We are looking at ways on introducing it."

The T&A will be following the women's progress with regular updates. The Stop Smoking Service can be contacted on 0800 1690169 or visit your local GP.