HEALTH chief Brian Taylor has welcomed new laws that will ban smoking in cars with children in them from October this year.

Councillor Brian Taylor, lead member for health and adult social care at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “This is fantastic news. We fully support anything that will protect children from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

“Hundreds of children suffering the effects of secondhand smoke are admitted to hospital every year with complications such as bronchitis, asthma and reduced lung function.

"If young people aren’t able to protect themselves against this danger, the government was duty bound to do so by banning smoking in cars with young passengers.”