West looks to Cherie Blair for smoke ban appeal
Smoke rebel Dave West plans to employ Cherie Blair to fight his appeal against Westminster council.
West and his company Jewelite Trading were found guilty of two offences of allowing smoking at HeyJo club in Westminster on 4 and 10 August.
West, reportedly worth £100m, and Jewelite were fined £500 each for the two offences and ordered to pay costs of £5,591.
HeyJo hit the headlines post 1 July when it announced it had recruited the services of Cherie Blair to fight the smoking ban in the European Court of Human Rights.
"We plan to appeal – it was a kangaroo court," said club executive and West's right hand man Harry Barnett.
"And this time we will wheel out the big guns. We plan to get Cherie involved."
Barnett said it would now put cards out on every table warning customers that smoking is unlawful.
"But we can not put our staff at risk to stop them doing so," said Barnett.
"If they feel threatened they can not be expected to stop people smoking."
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