The owners of a city centre bar have been fined a total of £1,000 at Belfast Magistrates Court today in relation to breaches of smoke-free legislation.
Abacus Inns Limited pleaded guilty to failing to prevent people smoking within their premises and failing to display statutory smoke-free signage.
The prosecution was brought by Belfast City Council following visits by tobacco control officers to the Perch Rooftop Bar on 15February 2019.
In the first case of its kind in Northern Ireland, the designated beer garden at the premises was found to be substantially enclosed under the Smoking (NI) Order 2006 and therefore smoking was not permitted within it.
Officers witnessed ashtrays on tables, people smoking and no intervention from staff to stop people smoking.
A spokesperson for Belfast City Council said: “Smoke-free legislation was introduced to protect people from breathing in second-hand smoke in enclosed and substantially enclosed premises. The message from the courts today is that beer gardens must be in compliance with the regulations. Belfast City Council is committed to ensuring that all businesses in the city meet their obligations to safeguard the public under tobacco control legislation.”
Abacus Inns Limited was fined £750 in respect of its failure to prevent people smoking within their premises and £250 for failing to display statutory smoke-free signage and ordered to pay costs of £75.
