Smoking can seriously age your looks. Check out the proof!

Using the latest computer technology to show the signs of ageing, health teams invited smokers to see what effects years of tobacco would do to their appearance.

"It is really shocking," said Maz Churcher, who celebrated her 21st birthday by seeing how she would look at the age of 72 if she carried on smoking.

"It's very scary seeing your skin that colour and your dark eyes."

Hundreds of weekend shoppers approached the Hampshire NHS Primary Care Trust stand in Gosport's Market Place to take advice on giving up smoking.

Raising awareness of free health services available to smokers, the display used the Age Progression Image Launcher - APRIL - programme to capture someone's face and ages them according to the number of cigarettes they smoke regularly.

Nineteen-year-old Gemma Davis, who works at a town centre restaurant, was taken outside by her boss to see the effects of her daily nicotine habit.

"My manager dragged me out here to see what my smoking does and I was quite shocked.

"My skin is still good at the moment because of my age and I don't really want it to end up looking as bad as that," she said.

NHS health advisers were also on hand to comfort the shocked smokers and offer advice and tips to help people kick the habit.

"We have had a huge amount of interest," said health improvement manager Neil Luckett.

"Our main aim is to raise awareness of the smoking ban which comes in on July 1 and also to get some feedback from members of the public as to how effective the current promotion of it is.

"We are giving out free advice and support and making sure people realise this is available in pharmacies, surgeries, community centres and libraries."

Sue Trundel, a secretary from Gosport said she was also quite surprised by the images.

"I've already cut down from 30 to 15 cigarettes a day but after seeing this I am planning to go to a class that is available to help people quit."