REGULARS of a Bacup pub have petitioned Parliament to have the smoking ban lifted after claiming it had "nibbled away at social cohesion" at the bar.
Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson said 93 regulars of the Swan Hotel signed the petition. Handing it into the Commons, she said regulars had told her that since the smoking ban was introduced they had seen "at least a good third of our social friends have stopped coming".
They complained "the social atmosphere within the pub has drastically diminished. Smokers and non-smokers alike are finding the ban has served no purpose whatsoever other than to nibble away at the social cohesion that has taken many years to evolve."
Ms Anderson said the petition requested the Commons to introduce fresh legislation to allow the landlord of the Swan Hotel to put up a sign depicting it as a "smoking establishment, giving customers the right to choose whether to enter or not".
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article