£12,000 blow for smoke ban rebel Tony

A licensee who was found guilty of flouting the smoking ban has labelled his punishment pathetic.

At court yesterday Tony Blows, who runs the Dog Inn, in Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire, was found guilty of two charges of letting people smoke on his premises and another of smoking himself.

He was fined a total of £1,075 and ordered to pay costs of £10,807.

He told thepublican.com: Its absolutely pathetic, I could smoke and sell crack cocaine and get a slap on the wrist or knock down a child at a zebra crossing and get a suspended sentence.

Blows has since put the pub up for sale and plans to move abroad, but not before launching an appeal against the decision.

Full story at: www.thepublican.com