Smoking Ban? They call it 'Smoke-on-Trent'
We shouldn’t really report this as Hippyshopper is all for the smoking ban, but it’s got to raise a smoke… sorry a smile that smokers are flocking to light-up in Stoke-on-Trent despite the smoking ban because of a bureaucratic blunder. Officials are powerless to stop people enjoying the UK’s only cigarette haven in the city's 400 pubs and bars, as well as lighting up in enclosed spaces such as bus shelters.
[via ITN]
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The council will not be able to enforce the ban or the £50 on-the-spot fin until councillors formally approve it at a meeting on August 2.
Dax Robateau, owner of the Smithfield pub, said he spent £21,000 on outside shelters for smokers. Now posters in his bar declare "Welcome to Smoke-on-Trent". He said:
"We were all ready for the ban on July 1. It seems the only people who weren't ready were the council. I'm going to allow customers to carry on smoking until August."
A council spokesman said: "We'd no intention of prosecuting people in the early days. But where people deliberately flout the ban we can take action retrospectively."
about the soking pictures
Posted by: thajudeen | October 21, 2007 6:22 PM