Licensee successfully challenges smoking sign fine

Pascal Watkins, of the Angel Inn at Hetton near Skipton in North Yorkshire, criticised his local authority for being two years out of date with the legislation on smoking signs.

He has since received an apology from Craven District Council after pointing out that the Smoke-free Signs Regulations 2012 scrapped the need for signs to be a particular size and prominence, simply stating that “at least one legible no-smoking sign must be displayed” in premises.

Watkins said that staff at his pub were bemused to receive a visit from the local council’s dog warden, who told them they would have to pay a spot fine of £200 if they failed to display the correct signage.

Watkins said: “They have absolutely no idea of the pressures pubs are facing.

Different world​

“They are living in a different world if they really think that this is the sort of thing they need to pester businesses about. It doesn’t really surprise me they’re so out of touch, because that’s what civil servants are like.

“I thought this sounded wrong so spent a few minutes on Google and found out all I needed to know. But how many people are there who wouldn’t feel confident to challenge a council officer and would just pay up?”

A spokeswoman for the council said: “We had not been made aware that the regulations surrounding the display of no-smoking signage had changed.  This is an unfortunate oversight which has since been rectified and an apology made to the gentleman who bought it to our attention. We have since updated our literature.”