DIRECTORS of public health in Lancashire have called for the use of trans fats in food to be stopped.

Trans fats or trans fatty acids are found in many cakes, biscuits, pies and chips but have no known nutritional value.

Maggi Morris, lead director of public health for healthy weight, said: “Other countries in Europe have already banned the use of trans fats and it would be a sensible and practical step to do the same here.

“They raise the type of cholesterol in the blood that increases the risk of heart disease.

"It is time that they were removed from foods to help reduce people’s risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.”