SMOKERS in a Hampshire town have been given a last gasp reprieve because of a bureaucratic blunder.

A bungle by council bosses means people can still light up in pubs and clubs in Fareham without fear of being fined.

It comes just five days after a similar mistake by civic chiefs in Stoke-on-Trent earned the Midlands town the nickname Smoke-on-Trent.

Now residents in Fareham say the town should get its own nickname of Fag-ham and are calling on landlords to let them continue with their habit until the £50 on-the-spot fines can be imposed.

Currently all the council can do is issue people with advice about quitting and say they will have to formally pass the legislation needed for them to fine people at their next full council meeting on July 26.

Admitting their error, the council said they had only been informed nine days before the July 1 public smoking ban deadline that the legalisation giving them the right to fine people had to be passed by the full council, not just the ruling executive.

They went on to claim they had not intended to fine people during the first month anyway, and had planned to use this time to educate both customers and businesses.

A spokesman said: "As part of the introduction of the legislation we had planned a period during the first month of education and awareness raising before enforcement.

"The delay in delegating this function will not impact on the overall approach that the council is progressing in raising awareness about the issue and then enforcing the legislation as appropriate.

"This delay is unfortunate but given the timescales involved does not detract from what the council is aiming to achieve and that is awareness raising and education and advice in the short term and then where appropriate enforcement."

However, some of those working in the leisure industry were less than happy.

Janice Yates, manager of the Brass Monkey, said: "Had we known it was not enforceable from the start of the ban, then, yes, we would have allowed our customers to keep on smoking.

"As it stands, with only a few days left, I don't think we'll bother but the council should have told us as this was a decision forced on us, not one we had a part in deciding."

Customer Ben Lappage, 20, a shopfitter from Miller Drive in Fareham, added: "If it's not yet enforceable then we should be allowed to continue smoking. We should rename this place Fagham - perhaps then we'd get some extra visitors in our pubs."