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A woman who started smoking at the age of just 11 says it took her losing half of a lung to be able to quit her 50-year habit for good.

Ex-smoker Julie Corns, from Rochdale , who had half of her left lung removed following a recent cancer diagnosis , is now pleading for people to follow in her footsteps and get help before it becomes too late.

Julie, from Heywood , began smoking in childhood - and her habit would lead to the consumption of up to 20 cigarettes a day growing up.

However, in July this year, 67-year-old Julie was finally able to quit after doctors discovered she had two tumours on her left lung and she was diagnosed with cancer.

An operation was required a few weeks later to remove them and, during keyhole surgery, surgeons found a further three tumours

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