HIT BBC drama The Serpent saw 220 cigarettes smoked in eight episodes — a rate of one almost every two minutes.

Star Jenna Coleman, 34, who plays serial killer Charles Sobhraj’s girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc, is the biggest puffer with 47 cigs.

Chain-smoking Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg (Billy Howle), who investigates the Bikini Murderer’s Seventies spree, manages to get through 35.

Accomplice Ajay Chowdhury, (Amesh Edireweera) drew on 17 with evil Frenchman Sobhraj (Tahar Rahim) having 13.

The drama, which ended last night, told the true story of Sobhraj, who killed at least 12 travellers in Nepal, India and Thailand between 1963 and 1976.

Viewer Rob Atkinson said: “The amount of stress smoking is making me want to smoke and I don’t even smoke.”

Anti-smoking charities slammed the Beeb — with Deborah Arnott, from Action on Smoking and Health, saying: “There’s a proven causal link between watching people smoke on screen and taking up smoking. 

“Whether the smokers are heroes or villains doesn’t make a difference.

Exposure to images of people smoking makes it harder to quit,”

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]

Source: Read Full Article