PEOPLE have been caught smoking inside a bar in Bournemouth town centre. 

Officers from Bournemouth police said “a number of breaches” of smoking laws were found in while out during an ‘evening of action’. 

The neighbourhood policing officers took part in a multi-agency evening with BCP Council’s licensing department this week. 

A spokesman for Bournemouth police said: “Whilst the licensee of the bar or pub can be fined (considerably) for permitting customers to smoke indoors... so can the customer. 

“A fixed penalty of £50 can be levied against customers smoking inside a premise that does not have more than 50 per cent exposed to the open air.  

“This is under the health Act 2006. This legislation has been in for some time and ignorance is not a defence.  

“Customers need to be very careful. Whilst areas for smoking can have a roof, they would need to not have any sides for example to enable the location to comply.  

“The BCP licensing team elected to educate customers this evening, but this will not be the case for future multi agency evenings of action and people should expect to receive fines if breaching this legislation.  

“This offence is absolute and there is no defence in law to it.”