SOME Worcestershire residents have criticised calls to ban smoking in public places - fearing it would be an infringement of human rights.

Calls for a ban on smoking in public places - including in pubs and restaurants - was made by the leaders of all 13 Royal Colleges of Medicine this week in a bid to protect the health of non-smokers and workers.

Smoker Mandy Lane, aged 37, a shop supervisor from Droitwich, said: "I agree restaurants should have non-smoking sections and I sit in those areas when there are children around, then I move to the smoking section.

"I think it's a little extreme to ban smoking altogether in public, and I can't see that many people would actually obey it."

Clare Smith, aged 29, a domestic assistant, from Droitwich, also a smoker, added: "I understand fears about passive smoking, but what about all the other fumes we breathe in every day from traffic pollution?

"Are we going to ban public transport next?"

Jason Meeks, aged 21, a warehouse stock controller, from Tenbury Wells, said: "I don't think smoking should be banned in bars or pubs, it just wouldn't work.

"I think pubs would lose custom or people would smoke regardless, especially when they've had a couple of drinks.

"I can't seriously see it successfully working."

Shop assistant manager Phil Beecroft, aged 29, from Cumbria, who was in Worcester visiting relatives, is a former smoker.

"I think things should remain as they are with pubs and restaurants with no-smoking areas," he said. "I'm not sure it bothers that many people."

Security worker John Pawley, aged 53, of Warndon Villages, who gave up smoking 15 years ago, added: "I fully agree it should be banned in restaurants, but it's never bothered me in pubs.

"I once ran a convenience store. It was at a time when I smoked, and people actually came in smoking, which I thought was very rude and stank the place out and made it unpleasant to work in."

Sarah Angling, aged 31, a part-time teacher who lives in Malvern, is convinced a ban is the step in the right direction.

"I think it's a brilliant idea. I'm absolutely in favour of it," she said. "It's not fair to subject people to passive smoking. It's unpleasant, and leaves your hair and clothes smelly."

Peter Hill, a co-ordinator for Smokefree Worcestershire, a group working to help people kick the habit, said he fully supported a ban.

"The evidence clearly indicates that there is a real problem and, at the end of the day, as soon as we see a smoke-free Worcestershire in work and public places the better," he said.