For the past five months, smoking has been banned at Cambridgeshire County Council sites ... and the policy seems to have paid off.

A report, which will go before the council’s Health Committee today, says 81 per cent of staff quizzed are supportive of the policy (562 people took part in the survey).

As part of the policy, which was introduced on October 1, smoking, including with e-cigarettes, is not permitted on walkways, in car parks or in outdoor seating areas.

Smoking breaks are not included in paid time and smoking in work uniform is banned. Council owned vehicles and privately owned vehicles used for council business must also be smoke-free.

Bus drivers are expected to go off to the Park and Ride to smoke during their breaks.

On-site stop smoking clinics have been run, although very few people have taken part. Smoking litter bins and signage have been placed at the entry to council sites.

One neighbour living close to a council site complained about an increase in litter where people have gone to smoke. Otherwise, the policy has not met with opposition.

A whistleblowing policy is in place where employees are encouraged to report colleagues or visitors who breach the policy. However, a survey revealed only 36 per cent of people would definitely remind colleagues not to smoke and 36 per cent would do likewise with visitors.

Smoking kills about 772 people in Cambs each year, a Public Health England report revealed in 2013.