Penn escapes smoking punishment

Actor Sean Penn has escaped charges for breaking an anti-smoking ban in Canada, while the hotel he lit up in has been slapped with a fine.

The Oscar winner puffed on a cigarette during a press conference in a hotel at the Toronto Film Festival last week, where he was promoting new movie All the King's Men.

In the province of Ontario smoking is banned in all enclosed public places.

Although politicians and anti-tobacco campaigners called for him to be charged by police, he has escaped with just a written warning from Toronto public health officials.

Despite the leniency, Ontario Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson insists: "We don't have a system in Canada where we have preferential treatment for someone who's famous or rich.

"We welcome stars and mere mortals and everyone else to Ontario and they have to respect our laws."

The Toronto Sutton Place Hotel, where the incident took place, must pay C$605 (€444.4) for the violation.