SMOKER Liz Carthy stubbed out her last cigarette after making a pact with her beloved brother who was dying of cancer.

Liz started smoking at just 11 years old and her habit grew to 40 a day. It never crossed her mind to give up until she had a bedside heart-to-heart with brother Ian before he underwent complex surgery to remove a kidney. The operation was a success but when cancer took hold of Ian's lungs, Liz knew there was little hope.

She said: "I was devastated when he died. Half my life had gone. I promised him I'd quit and I'd never betray him."

Ian's family, including his two teenage sons, commemorated the fourth anniversary of his death last week. He would have been 40 in December.

The touching story comes to light as Liz prepares for a national "Quitter of the Year" event in London on November 14.

She said: "I want to tell other smokers they too can give up. It was tough and I had to keep constantly occupied - my house had never been as clean! Now my young daughters grow up in a smoke-free household."

Liz, from Ribbleton, Preston, used the cash saved by not smoking for her first holiday abroad but the duty free cigarettes started off intense cravings. She said: "I'd been paying full price while I was a smoker and for the first time I could have got them so much cheaper. But when I get tempted I remember Ian's illness and how painful it was for me."

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