In just one day, some 287 smokers from west Norfolk have already signed up to kick the habit - with still a week to go until the challenge.

When the Stoptober Roadshow visited the Vancouver Centre, King's Lynn, people flocked to join the national challenge, which is not to smoke for at least 28 days starting Wednesday October 1.

Last year 300 people also signed up for Stoptober, but that number was a total for the whole of Norfolk.

Paul Smyth, chairman of Norfolk County Council's communities committee, said: 'Quitting smoking is one of the best ways you could improve your health, so I would encourage smokers to take the Stoptober challenge.

'Figures show that smoking is still the biggest single cause of preventable death in the world. In Norfolk between 2010 and 2012, 4538 people died from smoking-related illnesses, so it is clearly a massive health issue.'

The 2014 campaign will help would-be quitters to see the lighter side of not lighting up, with top comedians including Paddy McGuinness and Al Murray fronting advertising campaigns.

And the Stobtober roadshow has been travelling the country, complete with entertainers.

The campaign provides a 28-day step-by-step programme for smokers to help them quit and with smoking being the biggest cause of illness and premature death in England.

By signing up to Stoptober challenge members will receive a free stop-smoking pack full of encouraging tips and information, and will be sent a daily support email.

There is also a mobile app and text support to help you stay on track.

Lucy Macleod, interim director of Public Health for Norfolk, said: 'National figures show that Norfolk has particular problems in relation to women smoking in pregnancy and people over 35 who have to go to hospital to be treated for illnesses caused by smoking.'

Visit http://stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk to sign up.