A BEWDLEY publican who has been using his "fun sense of humour" to help residents quit smoking, has welcomed a smoking ban in pubs.

Mark Wheway, of The Talbot Inn, gave up smoking a year ago and has been encouraging others to do the same.

The 48-year-old welcomed the MPs' decision, on Tuesday, to ban smoking in all pubs and private members' clubs, which will come into effect in summer, 2007, adding: "I'm absolutely chuffed that it is being banned everywhere. It has taken long enough. I just wish it started in a month's time."

In April, he will have been landlord for 19 years and he said he has become well known over the years for his humorous slogans and rhymes that he regularly shouted out in the pub, such as "Welcome to the Talbot Inn, the friendly pub of Bewdley, promoting unity in the community."

The father of six said: "I have got nothing against smokers - I used to smoke myself. I'm trying to influence people with my wit and humour. I am trying to encourage people who want to quit and be a good role model for children."

He hands out quit smoking information packs in the pub and said he was pleased with the response he had been getting, adding: "We think our message is affecting people. One of my customers smokes 40 a day and he is going to smoke outside rather than inside the pub."

Elsewhere in the district there were mixed opinions about the ban.

Richard Burgess, licensee of The Red Man in Blackwell Street said: "It was inevitable. I'm just glad it's a total ban because it is a level playing field for all pubs - a partial ban wouldn't have been fair. We have got a big tent in the garden and we have already put heaters in so we were gearing ourselves up for it."

Lesley Mountford, licensee of The Prince Albert, Bewdley Road, said she believed it would affect business, adding: "This is a small back street working men's pub and you can imagine what they are thinking of it.

"I can't think of a non-smoker who comes in here. They should have gone for a partial ban."

Wyre Forest MP, Dr Richard Taylor, who spoke in the House of Commons debate, said afterwards: "I emphasised that everybody knows about the risks of cancer from smoking and passive smoking but people rarely realise that the risk of coronary artery disease is far great than that of cancer.

"There is no real question from a public health point of view that banning smoking in all public closed spaces is crucial.

"It was a great relief that it was passed by a great majority," he added.