Sneaky smokers force landlady to act

A TOWN-CENTRE pub has become one of the first in the borough to ban the indoor use of e-cigarettes.

The Ashton Arms, Clegg Street, has barred use of e-cigs following the sneaky use of real cigarettes alongside them

Landlady Jo Potter said: “In the last few weeks we’ve had a rise in people smoking proper cigarettes in the toilets, which we’ve never had since the smoking ban came in six years ago. We can only put it down to people openly smoking e-cigarettes.

“It seems to encourage other smokers, so to be fair to everyone we ask everyone to go outside and we haven’t really had that much objection to it. We even lend them a big brolly if it is raining.

“The only exception we make is for a couple of our older customers who are usually in when it is very quiet.”



The pub’s stance came as local Lib-Dem MEP Chris Davies hailed a victory for users of e-cigarettes when the European Parliament backed his call for them to be available like cigarettes.

MEPs rejected plans for them to be treated as medicines — which would have increased their cost and reduced availability.

Mr Davies said: “Hundreds of ex-smokers have told me they have helped them quit smoking when nothing else worked. They are successful because they are not medicines but products smokers enjoy.”