It is a decade since the smoking ban was introduced, making it illegal for anyone to light up in enclosed public places and workplaces.

Ten years on, public health bosses say the ban has help cut the number of people smoking and saved lives.

Official figures, taken from the Annual Population Survey, suggest that the proportion of adults in Swindon who smoke has fallen from almost 30 per cent of the population in 2007 to 15 per cent in 2016 – below the England average of 15.5 per cent.

It is believed that the drop in smoking rate has been driven by larger health warnings on packs of cigarettes, plain packaging and the growth of e-cigarettes and vaping.

In Swindon, smoking-related deaths have dropped from 304 people per 100,000 population in 2007-9 to 299 people per 100,000 in 2013-15.

However, the costs to the community of smoking are estimated to be around £56m a year in Swindon.

Coun Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Council Cabinet Member for Adult Health and Social Care, said: “Smoking still remains one of the largest threats to public health with one in two people who smoke dying early as a consequence of their addiction.

“In Swindon over 280 people die each year from smoking related diseases and there are over 1,700 hospital admissions each year due to smoking related diseases.

“Our vision is to inspire a smokefree Swindon where people live a long and healthy life protected from the harms caused by tobacco, so these figures are good news for us.”

Swindon’s Tobacco Control Strategy, published earlier this year, pledges the council to work to discourage young people from taking up smoking, supporting smokers to quit, and tackling illegal tobacco.

Public health bosses say that the ban has helped reduce smoking-related deaths among non-smokers. Nationally, the proportion of deaths attributable to smoking have fallen from 308 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007-9 to 283.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2013-15.

Russ Moody of Public Health England South West, said: “The indoor smoking ban in public places was one of the greatest reforms to public health in this country.

“The move, coupled with quit smoking initiatives such as Stoptober and the work of local authority public health teams, has helped to drastically cut the number of smokers by facilitating quit attempts and smoke free lifestyles.”

Many of those we spoke to in Swindon’s Old Town yesterday lunchtime were supportive of the ban.

Peter Hazell, 77, from New Town, said: “It’s good for me – I’m a non-smoker. It used to be not so nice to go into public areas. They were filled with smoke.”

Linda Gulliford, 41, re-opened the Tuppenney pub on Devizes Road last November after spending two decades working in the pub industry.

“I think in the first instance it did affect business,” she said. “But now people have got used to it I think it’s better for everyone.”

Others said that they had made new friends as a result of being forced to smoke outside. Martin Dickinson, 55, from Old Town, said that he sometimes barely spoke to his friends sat inside a pub or restaurant: “You can spend an hour outside talking.”

However, some pub landlords have criticised the ban. In January, Dave Howells, landlord at the Liden Arms in Barrington Close, told the Adver the ban had ‘taken away freedom of choice’.

He said: “The ban has affected the pub trade, particular wet pubs, which only serve drinks and not food. It has stabilised now but we saw a significant downturn just after it happened. It feels like a nanny state.”

A spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association said that the smoking ban, the recession and a 42 per cent rise in beer taxes between 2008 and 2013 represented a ‘perfect storm’ for pubs. Nationally, around 7,000 pubs closed between 2008 and 2013.

Martin Dickinson, 55, Old Town: “I’m a smoker but I actually quite like the smoking ban in pubs. In the past, my friends would all go out and none of them smoked. I’d be standing away from the crowd smoking. Now, there’s a better smell in pubs. You can spend an hour outside talking.”

Linda Guildford, 41, Old Town: “I think in the first instance it did affect business. But now people have got used to it I think it’s better for everyone. I’m a smoker and you get to chat to people you wouldn’t otherwise sit with.”

Alex Lovejoy, 52, Lawn: “I’m a smoker but I’m still in favour of the ban. I just use this vape now. When people stand outside the pub smoking the smell does come in.”

George Hoare, 36, North Swindon: “I think it’s now been good. In the first couple of year there was quite a bit of upset – pubs were association with smoking.”