HAMPSHIRE County Council is planning to stub out smoking throughout all its buildings.

Although it has officially been banned from its offices and vehicles since 1991, the council now wants to toughen up the policy.

The move would see designated staff smoking areas removed in a bid to make council buildings as smoke free as possible.

A report due to be studied by councillors today recommends tightening up the existing no-smoking policy.

It says the issue of smokers congregating outside council buildings - often in entrances or doorways - needs to be addressed, following complaints from other members of staff.

There have also been concerns about the image presented to the public when smokers gather outside the council's headquarters in Winchester.

Now a smoking shelter may have to be provided in order to stop staff hanging around doorways when they down tools for a cigarette.

The report also urges managers to keep close tabs on staff smoking breaks to ensure workers make up the time taken.

It admits the effects of passive smoking will remain an issue for certain members of staff, such as home carers, youth workers and staff who work in buildings with bars.

It says all efforts should be made to ensure staff working in such areas are informed when recruited about possible exposure to tobacco smoke.

Hampshire County Council's proposed ban was welcomed by anti-smoking campaigners.

A spokesman for anti-smoking group ASH said: "It is very welcome news that the council is toughening up its policy. There is really no excuse for allowing smoking in the workplace in this day and age - it is a serious health and safety risk."

But Simon Clark, of smokers' lobby group Forest, said: "This is typical of local politicians jumping on the anti-smoking bandwagon.

"A designated smoking room works because it accommodates those who choose to smoke without inconveniencing those who don't.

"Removing smoking rooms is just bad man-management. Perhaps in an ideal world no one would smoke but a quarter of the workforce does, and their needs must be catered for."

THE CIVIC SQUEEZE ON SMOKING:

LAST month Eastleigh councillors voted to make the borough smoke-free within five years with a total ban on lighting up in public places, including pubs and clubs.

Eastleigh Borough Council has already banned smoking at its civic offices, town centre office, The Point arts and dance centre and Hedge End council depot.

Southampton City Council has also unveiled proposals to stub out smoking among its 6,000 employees by next April.

If the move goes ahead, all council staff would be barred from lighting up even if they are on business elsewhere in the country or off council property.

City bosses would also ban staff from taking smoking breaks and would shut down existing smoking rooms at council buildings.