HEALTH chiefs in Bury have voted to support a complete ban on smoking in enclosed public places.

Board members of Bury Primary Care Trust say they are very disappointed that the Governments White Paper allows exemptions to private clubs and some pubs.

Mrs Hilda Harvey, chairman of the PCT Board, said the freedom to smoke had many unacceptably high costs.

'The smokers right to commit slow suicide cannot be at the expense of the lives of others, who have little or no choice but to share the product of their habit at second hand,' said Mrs Harvey.

Dr Derek Fletcher, board member and local GP, said a complete ban would have helped his patients to give up smoking.

And Dr Peter Elton, director of public health, said: 'The White Paper was the biggest opportunity to improve public health that we have seen for years. We are disappointed, but we are not going to let any chance pass us by.

'We are in alliance with the local authority to support a complete ban in enclosed public places. We must never forget how dangerous smoking is and we remember that nobody has the right to harm other people."

Councillor John Byrne, board member and leader of Bury Council, said: 'The proposals within the White Paper do not go far enough. We cannot just pack smokers into a few pubs and private clubs where smoking would be permitted. This will just put the staff within these establishments at even greater risk of the harm from other peoples smoke.'

The 'partial' ban was also condemned by anti-smoking group ASH as 'unjustifiable, unworkable and unsustainable'.