SMOKING rates in England have fallen to the lowest on record, Public Health England (PHE) has said.

In 2015, 16.9% of adults described themselves as smokers, compared with 19.3% in 2012.

Experts say the decrease may be partly thanks to the availability of e-cigarettes.

More than a million people said they vaped as they tried to quit and 700,000 used a licensed nicotine replacement product such as patches or gum.

However, there is not such good news for Thurrock, where smoking rates have actually gone up.

According to the figures, 21.3% of all adults in Thurrock smoke. All other areas in the East of England have seen a decline.

IN 2012, the figure for Thurrock was 19.4. In 2013, 19.5 and in 2014, 20.9.

Mortality rates and hospital admission rates due to Thurrock have also risen.