Fuming campaigner vows to open more smoking pubs in UK

A publican facing prosecution for allowing customers to light up today vowed to open dozens more smoking establishments.

Pro-smoking campaigner Stuart Smith made the promise after appearing before Huddersfield magistrates in the UK.

In court, he denied failing to stop his customers smoking and failing put up “no smoking” signs.

Smith has now vowed to fight the prosecution until the smoking ban is repealed.

Outside court, Mr Smith said he would soon be opening two pubs in Halifax and Huddersfield in England, called the Puff Inn and the Cig Inn.

The 39-year-old opened the College Arms on January 16 with his son as the licence holder, advertising it widely as a place to continue smoking in public.

Police and council officials tried to shut it down within hours and the pub’s owner, Admiral Taverns, revoked the licence.

The local council then pinned a summons to the door, demanding Mr Smith’s presence in court for failing to comply with the public smoking ban.

But the publican said even if he ended up paying the maximum fine of £2,500 (€3,355) it would be worth it for defending people’s freedom to smoke.

He said: “This is not just about smoking – it’s about freedom of choice. It’s to get a point across, just like when King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. I am going to take this to the bitter end.

“Are they going to ban us from laughing or having a beer next?”

Mr Smith claims he now wants to start a chain of openly smoke-friendly pubs across Yorkshire.

He added: “I think I could open pubs at a rate of three or four a month. Eventually I would like to take this across the whole country.”

Mr Smith attracted media attention earlier this month when he allowed people to smoke at the Golden Fleece pub in Greetland, which he ran at the time.

He was bailed until his next court appearance at Huddersfield Magistrates Court on February 29.