End is nigh for evil weed

From July 1 next year it will be illegal to smoke in any enclosed public place, such as a pub or office, in England, with businesses facing fines of up to 2,500 if they break the law.

And the job of enforcing the legislation will fall on local councils. A phoneline will be set up to report breaches, and inspectors could also make unannounced visits on premises to check up on owners.

The ban follows identical moves in Ireland and Scotland, which have been hailed a big success using similar methods.

In Scotland and Ireland, where a smoking ban is already in force, it has generally been hailed a success, due to a mixture of the threat of fines on venues that do not follow the ban, peer pressure to quit and strong popular support.

Scotland's chief medical officer Dr Harry Burns has even gone so far as to say the smoking ban could almost wipe out lung cancer in the country.

And many smokers say it is easier to quit without the temptation of other smokers.

Although it is the local authorities that will enforce the ban, the police are worried about the knock-on effect of large numbers of smokers gathering outside pubs. They fear it could lead to anti-social behaviour and fights.

And with only seven months to go until the ban is introduced, pub landlords and cafe owners are rushing to build lean-to shelters and buy giant umbrellas to provide smokers with somewhere to light up.