I NOTE that Hyndburn councillors are being recommended to impose rules which would mean that council staff would have to clock off to have a smoke (LET, August 21).

It is to be hoped that such a practice will not be introduced when non-smoking staff can presumably take unrecorded time away from their desks, or other places of work, to make a private telephone call, or to have a cup of coffee, or to have a chat with a colleague.

What is happening to common sense and tolerance in this country? Is it likely that a smoker at the end of the day is really going to prove less productive overall than his or her non-smoking staff member?

I suggest that any moral high ground occupation by councillors be robustly resisted by smokers, whose tobacco tax contribution is £18,000 a minute. Don't push the one third of the adult population who smoke further into the social cage which seems rapidly to be surrounding them.

C TURNER (Mr), Executive Director, Tobacco Manufacturers' Association, London.

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