Dr John ReidPEOPLE living on Swindon's council estates today hit back over suggestions that they have little better to do than smoke cigarettes.

Health Secretary Dr John Reid sparked an outcry when he said that a public ban on smoking would take away one of the few pleasures left to council estate residents and single mothers on lower incomes.

But Swindon council house residents claim his remarks are disgusting and have as good as branded them "scummy no-hopers''.

Dr Reid, a former smoker, said: "I just do not think the worst problem on our sink estates by any means is smoking, but that is an obsession of the learned middle class.

"What enjoyment does a 21-year-old single mother of three living in a council sink estate get? The only enjoyment sometimes they have is to have a cigarette."

Responding to a call for a public ban on smoking, Dr Reid added: "Be very careful that you do not patronise people because sometimes people from those lower socio-economic backgrounds have very few pleasures and one of them is smoking.

"I worry slightly about the unanimity of the middle class professional activists on this."

But people living in council estates in the Parks and Walcot area say they are sick of being labelled scummy no-hopers.

Shop assistant Sarah Culley, 35, of Whitbourne Avenue, Park South, said she was disgusted with the comments.

"We aren't scum and I hate it when people keep thinking we are. His remarks are downright disgusting."

Pat Bennett, 61, a retired carer, of Banwell Avenue, Park North, said she smokes 10 cigarettes a day but that is not her only pleasure.

"I enjoy lots of things like walking my dog, doing crosswords, seeing friends. His comments have made me so angry."

Deborah Arnott, director of Action on Smoking and Health, said: "Smoking is the single greatest cause of the large difference in life expectancy between the rich and the poor.

"If John Reid's contribution to the white paper on smoking is 'let the poor smoke', then his policy on obesity must be 'let them eat cake'."

Last night John Reid remained unrepentant about his comments.

A spokesman for the health secretary said he had been "playing devil's advocate" on the issue.

He said: "Nothing has changed. He was at a Big Conversation meeting and was trying to promote a full debate on the issue of smoking.

"He was just saying 'let's look at this from another point of view'.

"The object was to get debate going, and we are happy to see it up and running."

Alex Emery