Publicans pay out over smoke ban

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/norfolk/7499712.stm

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A husband and wife have been ordered to pay more than £8,000 in costs after allowing drinkers to smoke in their Norfolk pub.

Martin Turver, 49, and Karen Turver, 42, who run the Dog and Partridge in East Wretham, appeared at Thetford Magistrates' Court.

They pleaded guilty to breaches between July and August last year.

District judge Philip Browning ordered them to pay costs and imposed a two year conditional discharge.

Smoking in a public place in England was banned at the beginning of July last year.

The court heard how after the smoking ban's introduction, secret checks were carried out in the pub when members of the public complained about smoking.

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Martin and Karen Turver were forced to pay over £8,000

Ashtrays full of stubbed out cigarettes were found and regulars were seen lighting up.

Judge Browning said: "In the first two months of this ban, you clearly and deliberately flouted it."

In their defence, the couple's lawyer, Sally Dale, said they had suffered a 30% drop in trade since the introduction of the smoking ban.

She said that although they had taken a stand against the ban at first, there had been no further breaches since 31 August last year.

The couple are now thinking of closing the pub and converting the building into a house.