SMOKING is to be banned from one of Kidderminster's main town centre pubs.

Customers at the Penny Black in the Bull Ring will not be allowed to light up as part of an outright ban by its owners, pub chain, JD Wetherspoons.

Ye Olde Crown Inn in Bridge Street, Stourport will also come under the ban by the firm, which will come into effect from May next year.

They are set to be joined by all other Wyre Forest pubs that serve food by the end of 2008.

Tim Martin, JD Wetherspoons chairman, said: "An increasing percentage of the population is giving up smoking and a significant number of people are staying away from pubs and restaurants because they are too smokey."

By the end of 2008, smoking will be banned in all enclosed public places and workplaces and all pubs and restaurants preparing and serving food.

Dave Hipkiss, of the Boar's Head Taphouse in Kidderminster, predicted the Penny Black would have a "hell of a job" enforcing the new company policy.

He said: "I agree there should be a no-smoking area but I do not agree that there should be a complete ban."

Richard Burgess, of The Red Man, in Blackwell Street, said it particularly hit smokers who only lit up when having a drink.

He explained: "I think pubs should be allowed to have smoking rooms and non-smoking rooms. As an employer, I could not force anyone to work in that room, it would be somebody who was prepared to work in that room."

He said of the ban at the Penny Black: "It is going to cause a bit of upheaval initially but when all pubs are the same it won't make any difference."

Pubs would be able to get around the ban by not serving food and a complete ban was the best solution, warned JD Wetherspooons.