Smoke ban comes under fire

A group challenging the legality of the smoking ban has given the Government a "last chance" to consider amendments or face them in the High Court.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Freedom to Choose have written to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt and the Attorney General giving

them 14 days to respond to their concerns or they will request a judicial review of the ban.

Jaswinder Gill, from law

firm Ormerods, said the group's challenge will be

based on what it sees as in-fringements of human rights.

He said the ban infringes licensees' rights to enjoy their own property and

possessions.

Gill said: "We have requested a response within 14 days.

"In the absence of an adequate response, we shall proceed with a full legal challenge in the High Court on grounds of a fundamental infringement of these rights prior to 1 July 2007.

"The infringement of human rights is something everyone feels very strongly about and we are not going to go away."

Freedom to Choose is a group made up of licensees and other interested parties and is funded by donations.

Visit www.freedom2choose

.co.uk for more information. l Readers' letters - p18

Police drugs raid results in cautions

A police drugs raid at the Waggon & Horses, in Blacon near Chester, involving more than 40 officers ended without a single arrest.

The pub was closed for four hours while a search of the pub premises and

its grounds were carried out.

Two portions of

cannabis were found and cautions were handed out by police.