Stub it out, outdoor market tells smoker
Sep 20 2007
by Mark Smith, Widnes Weekly News
A WIDNES woman was fuming when market staff told her to stub her cigarette out – even though she was outdoors at the time.
Jan Ackerley said she was shopping at the Widnes outdoor market when she was spotted having a puff by a member of staff.
She was then asked to stub it out and when she refused was taken to look at sign which said smoking in the outdoor market is prohibited.
She said: ‘I was doing my shopping on Saturday morning and was sat outside in my wheelchair near an ashtray – provided by the market.
‘The market superintendent came up to me and said the outdoor market was only ‘semi-outside’ and that I had to put my cigarette out.
Story continues
‘He showed me some no smoking signs but I just said: ‘look if I’m outside, I’m outside!’
‘I think it’s ridiculous.’
John McLoughlin, markets manager, said: ‘The majority of the outdoor market is substantially enclosed.
‘So it was decided to make the outdoor market a no smoking area on July 1.
‘Both staff and traders were informed that they cannot smoke anywhere in the outdoor market and signs at each entrance also notify the public of this.
‘Traders and staff accept and adhere to this but we still get the odd member of the public wandering through smoking.
‘It’s a policy of the market management to advise people of the ruling.’
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