COPD

A statement said he had suffered a "prolongued battle" with the lung disease COPD.

He added that research shows there are "very real links with vaping to inflammation of your airways which will then exacerbate existing health conditions, whether you have asthma or COPD".

Babs Thwaites says the summer fires exacerbate her COPD, trapping her indoors, unable to visit friends or walk her dog.

Ms Thwaites says her husband, who died in 2021, also had COPD.

A study commissioned by Havering Council that was published in November found a "statistically significant" association between fire incidents and GP attendances for those with long-term respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD.