The pictures, which include images of diseased lungs, throat cancer and clotted arteries, will start to appear on cigarette packets in the coming weeks.

Manufacturers will be forced to print the shocking pictures on packs as part of a Government push to get people to stub out for the last time.

Health bosses are all for the controversial campaign, but the idea has not been popular with smokers’ action groups and many members of the public.

Paul Johnstone, director of public health for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Almost 35,500 people in Yorkshire and the Humber gave up smoking last year with the help of the NHS.

“Approximately 9,700 people die from smoking related illnesses in the region every year so it is important that we keep coming up with innovative new ways to get our message across and highlight the dangers of smoking.

“On average a smoker’s life is 14 years shorter than a non smoker’s so the benefits of kicking the habit are obvious. These images are extremely hard hitting and will make smokers face up to the damage they are doing to themselves.”

However, smokers’ lobby group Forest has criticised the scheme. Simon Clark, director of the group, said: “We support measures that educate people about the health risks of smoking, but these picture are designed not just to educate, but to shock and coerce people to give up a legal product.

“They are unnecessarily intrusive, gratuitously offensive and yet another example of smokers being singled out for special attention.

“The Government seems determined to humiliate smokers until they in a state-approved way. Well it won’t work. Far from giving up, most smokers are likely to say enough is enough and reach for their fags in defiance.”

The Department of Health backs up its stance by saying that the written warnings, which were introduced five years ago, prompted more than 90,000 smokers to call the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 1690169.

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