A NORTH Yorkshire landlord is "delighted" after almost three-quarters of Evening Press readers who took part in a poll supported a smoking ban at his pub.

We asked readers to phone in with their views, after the Blue Bell Country Inn, at Alne, near Easingwold, imposed a total smoking ban, in the wake of Government proposals to curb smoking in public places.

Our phone poll revealed that 74.5 per cent of readers who took part supported a smoking ban in pubs, while 25.5 per cent did not.

Landlord Mike Anson said he thought the results were "excellent".

He said: "I think it's the way the world's going. People like nice clean air and everything to smell fresh, plus all the staff like it too. So far, the ban hasn't affected trade at all, but we're mainly an eating pub. We didn't have many customers who smoked anyway."

Publicans in and around York have received Atmosphere Improves Results (AIR) questionnaires, to find out what - if any - restrictions on smoking their employees and customers want.

Golden Slipper licensee Anita Adams, who is a member of the National Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations' executive body, said the phone poll reflected national trends, with only 25 per cent of the population smoking, a figure which has fallen from 47 per cent in recent years.

She said she would support a total ban on smoking, but criticised possible Government moves to exempt certain establishments from the ban.

"Unfortunately for us in the licensing trade, 90 per cent of our trade comes from that 25 per cent of the population that does smoke, so we're in a Catch-22 situation," she said.

"I'm a non-smoker and it would be lovely if nobody smoked, but I don't think it's the Government's job to impose that.

"I would support a total smoking ban if that's what it was, but it's not, they're exempting certain parts of the population - for example, working men's clubs. So although it started off being about health issues to protect staff, are they saying staff in working men's club do not need protecting? And have they given a thought to pensioners who have smoked all their lives and go to pubs for good quality food?

"It's a distraction, it's taking everyone's eyes off the proper issues of what's wrong with this country."

Updated: 10:11 Thursday, December 02, 2004