A CHURCH council member is up in arms about being forced to put up no smoking signs. At a meeting of the Parochial Church Council at All Saints Church in Weston, members were asked to discuss the issue of putting up no smoking signs inside the church, ahe

A CHURCH council member is up in arms about being forced to put up no smoking signs.At a meeting of the Parochial Church Council at All Saints Church in Weston, members were asked to discuss the issue of putting up no smoking signs inside the church, ahead of the Government ban on lighting up in enclosed public spaces from July 1.From this date all churches will be required to display regulation size and design notices ordering the public not to smoke. But church council member John Crockford-Hawley says to force the church to put the signs up is completely unnecessary.He said: "Encouraging people to give up smoking is sensible and for many of us the prospect of smoke-free restaurants and bars is good news. "However to enforce the display of signs where no one has ever attempted to smoke is taking matters too far. "The only smoke at All Saints is from incense. Why should we disfigure the fabric of important churches and cathedrals with the clutter of wholly unnecessary signage?"Mr Crockford-Hawley says the two church halls at All Saints have no smoking signs and a similar ban for the church ground is being considered.He added: "Even though we now live in a world where fewer people seem to understand the etiquette of behaviour in public places, I have not yet heard of anyone attempting to light up inside the church."Why are churches being forced to respond to this non-existent problem?"The Department of Health said that providing an exemption to the ban on smoking in churches 'would have created a dangerous precedent.'