The decline in sales of tobacco following last summer's ban on smoking in public paces is accelerating, new figures show.

In the 12 months to the end of January 2008, the number of sticks sold fell almost 4% to 47 billion, according Nielsen, compared with a decline of 2% in the 12 months to 6 October.

The number of cigarettes sold in the three months following the ban was down even more sharply - 6.3% compared with the same period the previous year.

In the final three months of 2007 the sales slump gathered pace, with volumes down 6.7% year-on-year. This was in marked contrast to the six months prior to the ban, when sales volume was in decline, but only by 0.1%.

Manufacturers refused to panic, however. They said they expected to see sales in England and Wales follow a similar trend to those in other countries that had had smoking bans in place for longer. "We anticipate a small decline followed by a levelling out to pre-ban numbers," said Gemma webb, American Tobacco UK's general manager.

Nielsen data also shows value sales of tobacco rose 2.3% to £9.68bn. However, this was driven mainly by an increase in the price of a packet of cigarettes as a result of higher duty.

The price hikes have led to a surge in smokers switching to roll your own, with volume and value in this category up 7% and 12% respectively. Manufacturers suggest that millions of pounds could be made by merchandising roll-your-own accessories more effectively.

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