New ruling on smoking in market
Most customers are stubbing out before they enter Wigan Market.
Wigan Metro says that most visitors to the market hall are abiding by the non-smoking rule which came into force on August 1.
But the council has confirmed that the ban does apply to the whole of the market building, including the Bon Appetit cafe.
This comes after a member of the public complained that some visitors to the cafe, which is not enclosed from the market hall, were continuing to smoke.
David Smith said: "You try and walk in with a lit cigarette and you can't but if you go to the cafe some people are just smoking away. If I'm not allowed to smoke, I don't see why they should be able to.
"Are they going to enforce it? I just don't understand it.
"I could understand it if it was all boxed in but the smoke is travelling everywhere. It is near to a butcher's. A lot of people are not happy about it."
A spokesman for Wigan Metro said that visitors seemed to be happy with the smoking ban.
He said that initially they were taking a softly-softly approach with people seen smoking being asked to extinguish the cigarettes.
If they refuse, they are then asked to leave the market hall. He said: "The ban does apply to the cafe. When people are seen smoking in there they are asked to stub it out.
"At the moment, we are not taking a heavy-handed approach but if it becomes a significant issue we would have to become more forceful.
"Most people are happily going along with it."
Wigan Metro has been considering introducing the ban for some time and has consulted with the market traders associations who are backing the council's stance.
The move has also received the backing of Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust and comes ahead of the nationwide ban.
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Weather for Wigan
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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