Shoppers face dawn of smoke-free zone

In less than a month smokers who used to light-up in the precinct's cafes will have to move outside for a cigarette.

The ban - which comes into effect on May 1 - has been agreed between Fareham Shopping Centre management and council leader Sean Woodward.

Councillor Woodward said it was time shoppers were able to move round the centre on West Street without walking past "great fugs of smoke" that collect around the designated smoking areas.

"It is off-putting for people to have to walk through billowing smoke in the food areas," he said.

"I don't think the ban should offend anyone. I think that even smokers are becoming used to the fact that it is not acceptable for others to have to breathe in second-hand smoke."

Earlier this year, Cllr Woodward said he envisaged there would be a total smoking ban in all public bars, restaurants, shopping centres and other enclosed areas of the town in about two years' time.

He said: "I have no qualms about supporting a smoke-free zone in Fareham. I think people are going to have to realise that allowing smoking in public places is dying out."

Last year smoking was banned in Ferneham Hall and there are hopes that the same will be done at Fareham Leisure Centre.

Deputy centre manager of the shopping precinct, Mike Booth, said now was the right time to bring in a ban: "We want to be ahead on this. It will make it much more pleasant and more environmentally friendly here."

Anyone caught smoking in the centre will be warned it is a smoke-free zone and escorted from the premises if they do not cooperate.

Ian Willmore, of national anti-smoking group ASH, said: "The government is likely to legislate to require public places to be smoke-free by law."

But Simon Clark, director of Forest, a national organisation promoting people's choice to smoke, said: "I think it's a shame that people are being denied the choice when this is a perfectly legal habit. This will especially hit older people who want to sit down inside and have a cigarette."