DRIVERS face a £200 fine for smoking inside the Tyne Tunnel.
Illuminated signs have been placed at the tunnel entrances in recent weeks, warning customers about the smoking ban.
The move has been ridiculed by smoking campaigners, but Tyne Tunnel manager Peter Hedley stressed the smoking ban is not new.
H
e said: "It has been illegal to smoke inside the tunnel since 1967, when the tunnel opened.
"But people's perceptions have changed since the introduction of the national anti-smoking legislation this summer.
"A customer recently complained about people throwing their lighted cigarettes out of car windows and we responded to that.
"These signs simply warn people that it is illegal to smoke in the tunnel. It is against anti-smoking legislation and our own by-laws.
"Motorists could face a court appearance and a £200 fine."
The move has been condemned by Forest, the pressure group campaigning for smokers' rights.
Spokesman Neil Rafferty said: "I used to live on Tyneside and I've driven through the tunnel many times.
"It's full of exhaust fumes and someone's cigarette isn't going to make the slightest difference."
"I would question the legality of the council's position.
"It seems to be a fanatical attitude on their behalf.
"I don't think people should break the law but, if I still lived on Tyneside, I'd be tempted to ignore this."
The full article contains 230 words and appears in Shields Gazette newspaper.
