'Smoking ban landlord gets six months jail term'

A former pub landlord has become the first person to be jailed in connection with the smoking ban. Nick Hogan, 43, was sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to pay a fine imposed for flouting the legislation. Two years ago Hogan, who ran two pubs in Bolton, became the first landlord convicted of breaking the law for allowing his customers to routinely light up in his bars. His wife, Denise, 53, also a publican, said she was disgusted her husband would be in prison alongside murderers and rapists. Meanwhile Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the anti-smoking group ASH, insisted it was a myth that the anti-smoking legislation had forced pubs out of business. - Daily Mail​

A major supermarket chain has come under fire for selling bottles of cider for £2.75 that contain more than a week's alcohol allowance. Iceland sells bottles of Frosty Jack's which contain 22.5 units of alcohol - above the 21 per week limit for a woman. The limit for men is 28. The three-litre bottle costs less than a pint in the pub and is a cheaper way of getting drunk than all the available 'super-strength' lagers and some brands of vodka. Iceland insists it is only copying other supermarkets, but critics savaged it for selling a powerful cider at 'pocket-money prices'. - Daily Mail​

Pub quiz teams are more likely to win if they have people with a knowledge of celebrities and pop culture rather than high IQs, according to a new report. Being able to recall story lines in soaps or recognise minor celebs is more useful than being academically bright when it comes to taking part in the weekly pub quiz, it was found. A survey of more than 2,000 adults found women were more knowledgeable than men about celebrities, but were less clued up about facts and figures. - Press Association​