Taxi drivers and ice cream men have been dobbed on to Middlesbrough Council for smoking at work.
But The Gazette can reveal NOBODY has been fined for flouting the smoking ban in almost four years.That’s despite dozens of complaints since the start of the decade of people illegally lighting up in public.
They include Boro fans being reported for enjoying a cigarette inside the Riverside.
“What’s disturbing is that some people are petty enough to make an official complaint when a quiet word would normally be enough,” said Simon Clark, of smokers’ rights campaign group Forest, which is campaigning to overturn the smoking ban.
Brought in a decade ago, it means people can no longer light up in venues like pubs and the workplace.
“We don’t condone people breaking the law but smoking in an enclosed public place, whether it’s a pub, taxi or bus shelter, may be inconsiderate but it’s hardly a major offence.”
Analysis of Freedom of Information figures suggests people are becoming less bothered about people smoking in banned spaces.
In 2010, there were around 30 complaints. Last year, there were three.
In the last seven and a half years, Middlesbrough Council’s dished out just ten fines while another person was hit with a £300 court bill.
The last fine was issued in August 2013.
“Thankfully these figures seem to suggest a proportionate response to a very small problem,” added Mr Clark.
“We welcome the fact that only a handful of fines have been issued because it suggests we’re being governed by common sense not the letter of an unnecessarily restrictive law.
“In reality the overwhelming majority of smokers are both law-abiding and considerate, while the majority of non-smokers are relatively tolerant of other people smoking.
“The law should reflect that. Instead it encourages complaints from less tolerant members of society.”
must be a NE thing
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