Greenwich has the highest rate of smoking during pregnancy in the capital - two percent less than the national average, new figures reveal.

Some 8.6 per cent of the borough’s mums-to-be are smokers when they give birth to their child, according to vapourlites.com.

The figure is high for London, joint first with Barking and Dagenham, but falls short of the national average of 10.6 per cent.

Your Local Guardian:

Figures reveal borough-by-borough breakdown of where expecting mums smoke most in London

Some 8.2 per cent of Bexley’s mums-to-be are smokers – the third highest rate in the capital.

Croydon has the fifth highest rate of smoking mums, with 7.6 per cent of pregnant women in the south London borough recorded as smokers.

Westminster had the lowest pregnancy smoking rate in the capital, at 1.5 per cent, and Blackpool has the highest in the country – 26 per cent logged as smokers at birth.

The analysis also found that just over 5 per cent of pregnant women are smokers at their first midwife appointment This only drops by 0.2% to 4.9% at the time of birth, according to the findings.

Amanda Sandford from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said: “Smoking during pregnancy reduces foetal growth and increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and cot deaths.

“Although there has been significant progress in reducing the rates of smoking during pregnancy it’s vital that work continues to ensure that pregnant women who smoke are offered support to quit.”

Some 6.3 per cent of Sutton’s pregnant women smoke, while 5.3 per cent of Bromley residents were recorded smokers at time of delivery.

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Richmond, Kingston and Wandsworth are among London borough's with the least highest rates for smoking mums-to-be