BAD breath is the biggest faux pas when it comes to snogging, say Midlanders quizzed by a new survey to mark today's National Kissing Day.

Fifty-four per cent of the people questioned in the region, including Worcestershire, cited smelly breath as their biggest turn-off, followed by 30 per cent who said smoking was a big kissing no-no.

The results were not surprising according to Richard Bernholt, managing director of oral care specialists Periproducts, which commissioned the survey.

"All of us experience bad breath at one time or another and while it is an embarrassing problem for the sufferer, it is also unpleasant for those on the receiving end and can make the prospect of kissing someone a real turn-off," he said.

"However, nobody need suffer the indignity of bad breath as there are simple solutions to combat it."

His top tips to sweet-smelling breath included using toothpaste that not only fights plaque but also eliminates odours, using a mouth spray and investing in a tongue scraper because 85 per cent of bad breath comes from the surface of the tongue.

The survey also questioned the nation on which celebrity they would most like to kiss, with Brad Pitt, Jude Law, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Hurley and Kate Moss coming out on top.

Worcester News reporter Emma Cullwick asked shoppers in the city's High Street which celebrity they would most like to be sharing a kiss with.