The residents of Buckinghamshire have had their say on the potential outdoor smoking ban that the current Government are hoping to implement.

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced that he and his party aim to ‘take action to reduce the burden on the NHS and the taxpayer’, by preventing smokers from having a cigarette in a public spaces.

These include areas such as pub gardens, hospital and university campuses, children's play areas and sports grounds.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, he PM said: “My starting point on this is to remind everyone that over 80,000 people lose their lives every year to smoking.

“That’s a preventable death.

“It’s a huge burden on the NHS and a huge burden on the taxpayer.

“Yes, we are going to make decisions in this space.

“More details will be revealed, but this a preventable series of deaths and we have we've got to take action to reduce the burden on the NHS and the taxpayer.

“We need to get the balance right.”

However, many people, smokers and non-smokers, have slammed the plan.

These include numerous people living in High Wycombe and the surrounding areas.

Taking to our Facebook page, several comments were left saying that those in the county were against the potential notion.

Shaun Fathers said: “[I’m a] non-smoker but [I] disagree.

“I don’t like smoke being blown in my face out in public, but a pub garden, what are they going to do next, ban drinking alcohol in them?”

Sherry Tucker added: “Never smoked but don't agree with this at all.

“All my family have smoked but it's their choice, not mine.

“I don't feel we have the right to dictate to others it's supposed to be a free country.

“If you don't want to breathe it in, stay away from the person smoking.

“It's not fair you should have a choice but not them.”

Janet Bird described the plan as ‘absolutely ridiculous’, with Lynn Revel saying that the potential ban ‘won’t stop’ her from smoking.

Jackie Sanger said that despite being a non-smoker, she ‘completely’ disagrees with the idea, whilst others have described the UK as a ‘nanny state’.

However, whilst many have slammed the proposals, some are for it.

Derek Lancaster said: I can’t believe anyone can still afford it!

“The previous government wanted to ban it entirely over a period of time, of course, so present govt pretty sensible in public spaces ban.”

The last major smoking ban to be introduced in England was back in July 2007, when the Labour government prohibited people from smoking in enclosed workplaces.

These included venues such as pubs, nightclubs and offices.

Seven years later in 2014, under the Conservative Government, a ban was placed to prevent smokers from having cigarettes in cars with passengers who are under the age of 18.