Hythe pub bans garden smoking despite government backdown

A pub in Kent has banned smoking in its garden after the government backed down on introducing legislation.

The ban at The Hope Inn, in Hythe, came into force on 1 April.

Its landlord, John Garrod, said: “Most people don’t enjoy other people’s smoke.”

The government said it was ditching plans to ban smoking in the gardens of pubs and restaurants in England in November, but that is was considering a ban in children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals.

Mr Garrod said the clientele at the pub were mostly families there to eat.

“We get very full in our garden and you just need one person to smoke for it to waft to up to 20 other people,” he said.

“It’s purely a hospitality measure.”

The pub can seat more than 100 people in its garden.

Mr Garrod, who has run the pub for five years, said he used to ask smokers to go into one corner of the garden.

“We are in the business of trying to make most people happy,” he said.

“Not many people smoke anymore and I think the majority of people would prefer to be in a garden without smoking.”

Caron Fortune, a customer, said: “There are times when we’ve got a nice table and someone will come and sit next to us, and then we have to move because they’re smoking.”

Meanwhile, her friend added: “I think it’s a shame because there’s so many things people can’t do at the moment.”

The landlord said vaping would continue to be allowed at his premises.

Simon Clark, from pro-smoking group Forest, said: “I think there’s a new generation who’ve never been exposed to tobacco smoke in indoor public places, and I think some people are just a little bit precious when a tiny waft of smoke passes them by.

“But if you’re in the open air, the smoke dilutes in the air very, very quickly, and most people are not bothered by it.”