London faces smoking ban

London is set to become the first city in Britain to ban smoking in public places.

The move is being backed by the two front-runners in the race to become the next Mayor.

Ken Livingstone and rival Steve Norris said they supported a ban, with the Conservative saying it could deliver " extraordinary health benefits".

Mr Norris described bans in New York and Ireland as "extraordinarily successful" and predicted Britain would soon follow suit.

And Mr Livingstone told a hustings event sponsored by the Evening Standard that an "overwhelming majority" of Londoners favoured the move. He claimed he would have a duty to follow public opinion on the matter if elected.

Liberal Democrat candidate Simon Hughes rejected harsh new controls claiming it would smack of the "nanny state".

The Government is determined to crack down on smoking. One in four adults still smokes despite repeated warnings about the dangers.

Ministers are considering introducing a nationwide ban but they may hand responsibility for restrictions to local authorities. This would open the way for the next Mayor to bring in a ban.

A poll by the London Health Commission suggests up to 75 per cent of Londoners would back some new restrictions on smoking in public places, with many favouring a total ban. Speaking at the hustings, which focused on health issues, Mr Livingstone said: "Where there is a huge consensus, you have to follow it."

He said he would launch a widespread consultation on the issue if ministers give the Greater London Authority the power to introduce a ban.

In a dramatic departure from the normal Conservative reluctance to introduce new restrictions, Mr Norris claimed non-smokers had a right not to inhale second-hand smoke.

He said: "On the one hand, we have enough regulations in life. On the other, I am a believer in people's right not to be polluted by other people's smoke.

"The thing that weighs with me is that where it has been tried, where everyone screamed that it would not be possible, it appears to have been an enormous success."

Green Party candidate Darren Johnson also backed the move.

Momentum for a ban is building. Last month members of the Royal Society of Physicians claimed ministers were "rapidly running out of excuses" for not introducing a ban.

During last night's hustings, also sponsored by health think- tank the King's Fund, candidates were asked about their views on the MMR vaccine.

Mr Livingstone refused to reveal whether his two children would be given the triple jab - insisting they had a right to privacy. Mr Norris said his children had all had the injection.