Graphic images of a human brain after a stroke due to smoking

Similar pictures appear in Canada, Thailand, Brazil and Singapore - now a public consultation will be held on whether to introduce them in the UK.

"We need to continue with fresh, hard-hitting ideas, providing more information that will help smokers quit," Health Secretary John Reid said.

The announcement comes one year after a total ban on tobacco advertising.

Canadian research

Larger, more direct warnings have been used on cigarette packets since last September.

Pictorial warnings have been shown to be successful in other countries Health Secretary John Reid Will it work? Have your say

But research in Canada has suggested that graphic images of diseased organs grab smokers' attention and make people more likely to quit.

The European Commission is developing a database of photographs suitable for use in European countries, the Department of Health said.

Dr Reid said: "We have already made a lot of progress with the new starker warnings on packs.

"Pictorial warnings have been shown to be successful in other countries, making more smokers consider the health risks to themselves and the people around them.

Pilot scheme

"This is something we will be consulting on later this year and we'll obviously be very interested to hear people's views."

Smokers' lobby group Forest described the proposal as a "sick joke" and said it would campaign "'vigorously" against the move.

Forest director Simon Clark said: "There are lots of products that are potentially hazardous to the consumer. Are they going to have graphic warnings on cars, sweets and alcohol, or fatty foods and dairy products?"

The Canadian ads say 85% of lung cancers are caused by smoking

Smoking kills more than 120,000 people in the UK every year but figures out this week suggested more people were giving up.

Almost 130,000 people had set a quit date using NHS Stop Smoking Services between April and September last year and 68,000 had successfully given up after four weeks - compared with 55,700 in the same period in 2002.

A pilot scheme in which GPs wrote to smoking patients in efforts to encourage them to give up the habit could soon be extended across England, Dr Reid added.

About 550 patients set a quit date after receiving letters from their doctor highlighting the services available to help during the trial in Birmingham.