Fined £1.300 for flouting smoking laws

A Rochdale man and his business, an exclusive shisha bar in Bolton, has been fined for flouting smoking laws.

Imran Saleem, aged 32, of Springbank Lane, Rochdale, was fined £1,300 and ordered to pay more than £1,300 in costs to Bolton Council.

Bolton Magistrates Court heard that people were allowed people to smoke inside the Arabian Lounge, Derby Street, Daubhill, Bolton on two separate occasions in September and October 2011.

Any place of work or public building which is enclosed, including shisha cafes, is required to be smoke-free.

For a business to comply with the Health Act 2006, it must be more than 50 per cent open to allow for ventilation of smoke — or customers must smoke outside.

When environmental officers visited the Arabian Lounge last year they found people smoking shisha indoors.

The smokers were hit with £50 fixed penalty notices and managers were warned smoking should not be allowed.

Smoke-free companies, which want to offer a smoking area, must comply with the Health Act.

Saleem failed to appear at court and the case was heard in his absence.