Landlady transforms pub into smoking research centre

Enforcement action is set to be taken to clamp down on a South Yorkshire landlady who has devised her own way to beat the cigarette ban... by setting up a "smoking research centre".

Kerry Fenton, landlady at the Cutting Edge in Worsbrough, near Barnsley, turned the pub's tap room into a research centre, in which people could smoke if they filled in a questionnaire. It included questions such as how many cigarettes people smoke, and whether they like a smoky atmosphere in pubs.

The idea for the so-called research centre was dreamed up by pub regular James Martin, a 40-year-old Sheffield printer, who saw that part two, item nine of the Smoke-free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulation 2007 sets out conditions for research into smoking.



The regulations state that a "designated room in a research or testing facility" does not have to be smoke-free "whilst it is being used for any research or tests."
But less than a week after the so-called research centre was set up - it looks set to be stubbed out for good.

Barnsley Council officials have pointed out that the Cutting Edge is "clearly not a research or test facility" and therefore not exempt from the smoking ban. Enforcement officers are set to visit the premises in Bank End Road today (Wednesday) and take action, which could lead to a maximum penalty fine of £2,500.

With news video.