Stub it out at the double!

Councillors last night voted to ban smoking in all Council-operated buildings by the end of the year.

The public will no longer be able to light up at venues such as The Alhambra Theatre, St George's Hall, swimming pools and leisure centres and other Council sites.

And in a double boost to the Telegraph & Argus Clear The Air campaign, Bradford-based supermarket giant Morrisons today announced a smoking ban in all its customer cafes from the end of January, with warning signs already going up in stores.

Last night's Council vote followed a motion tabled by Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood (Lab, Little Horton) and seconded by veteran councillor Jim Cairns (Lab, Tong).

Council chiefs will now draw up a list of all the facilities to be affected by the ban - likely to include everything from playing field changing facilities to the St George's Hall theatre. Smoking is currently banned from all Council buildings except in designated rooms. Last night's vote will lead to those being phased out by December.

Officers from the authority's asset management department, health improvement team and environment section will put together detailed plans and a timetable for the change - with the December deadline set in stone for managers of all facilities.

Once the document is drafted it will be put before the Council's ruling executive body - possibly in the spring. If they approve it, the ban should be effective by 2007.

Councillor Greenwood said that the motion was necessary and timely in order to protect the good health of people in the Bradford district who do not smoke.

He said: "All indications from the medical profession are that passive smoking is a danger.

"It is clear to us that passive smoking is an issue in the workplace and in the wider environment and we feel the nature of public opinion has reached a situation that it would be appropriate to have this before Council."

The vote received crossparty support, with the ruling Conservatives allowing a free vote to members.

Speaking in favour of the Labour motion, Councillor Paul Flowers (Lab, Great Horton) praised the T&A's Clear the Air campaign and said: "Smoking kills those of us who have to endure it and live around it too.

"I want us to reaffirm that we will end smoking in all Council workplaces this year, and I hope that will also include the likes of theatres."

Liberal Democrat leader, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley), said: "This is not about demonising smokers, this is about saying to people who work for the authority 'we want you to work in a smoke free environment'."

Morrisons has pre-empted a proposed national smoking ban in all places serving food.

The proposed legislation would allow smoking in pubs which do not serve food and has provoked protests that it would be unworkable.

But a recent Downing Street decision to allow Labour MPs a free vote on an amendment scrapping the exemption for pubs not serving food and for private members' clubs has increased the chance of a total ban in enclosed public places.

A Morrisons spokesman said: "The decision to withdraw smoking provision in those cafes where smoking is currently available is being made in response to a noticeable shift in customer preferences."

At the Girlington store signs have been placed on the tables in the caf's smoking section warning customers.

Deputy general manager Scott Gilbert said: "Obviously smokers do not want us to go in this direction but for us it is the healthy way forward.

"The majority of customers do not smoke and do not want to breathe second-hand smoke while they are eating so we have to go with the majority."

Every Morrison store will be affected. Those in the district which will lose a smoking area are at Bradford Mayo Avenue, Bradford Enterprise 5, the Victoria Shopping Centre in Girlington, Rushton Avenue, Thornbury, Keighley, Yeadon and Morley.