A GROUP of smokers tormented by the need to light up were breathing a healthy sigh of relief after being officially declared "Busted".

Desperate to give up, Derek Melia, and Chris and Graham Worrall were guinea pigs for Smokebusters, a new hypnotherapy treatment being pioneered in Bury, which targets psychological cravings for nicotine.

After stubbing out their last cigarettes over a year ago, the three were rewarded with framed certificates to celebrate their achievement.

Before she gave up, Chris, of Cams Lane, Radcliffe, smoked 30 to 40 cigarettes a day.

She said: "I couldn't even go to bed without worrying that I might not have enough cigarettes left until morning."

Pestered by her non-smoking son Jason to quit, Chris tried to give up using nicotine replacement patches, but quickly yielded to temptation.

In their search for a fresh approach, Chris and husband Graham, who was also a smoker, visited Bury hypnotherapist Andrea Lowe, a co-founder of Smokebusters. They were both given hypnotherapy to extinguish the pangs of dependence that haunted them. Following their session, the couple both packed up and have never smoked since.

Chris said: "Something's just clicked in my head, I don't know what. It's as if she's turned a switch and its worked.

"Others have noticed it more than me because my breathing is better."

"I don't even think about smoking now. It's not important and doesn't solve anything."

Derek, a day centre manager at the Seedfield Centre in Bury, smoked 50 cigarettes a day, and as a keen angler could puff his way through 60 during a five-hour fishing match.

Following the treatment he has been a non-smoker for the past 18 months.

Derek (54) said: "If I can stop anybody can. Nobody could believe that I found it so easy, but I can honestly say hand on heart, I have never needed to smoke since."

Andrea, who practises at the Derby Chambers on The Rock, took a cue from past experiences treating drug addicts to develop the programme with other therapists.

Herself a former smoker, Andrea said: "It's about understanding what a person is getting out of their smoking so that you can tailor to their needs and understand what their smoking is about."

"I've worked with drug abusers and nicotine addiction a similar psychological state, people often face an addiction which is more psychological than chemical."

The treatment, which will be available nationally as more therapists are trained, consists of one paid-for session with regular back up and free sessions if the treatment has not worked.

For further details ring 0800 0857015.