Businesses are being offered an incentive to ban smoking from their premises in the runup to a total national ban in 2007.

Employers in Chichester are being offered the chance to apply for bronze, silver and gold Clean Air awards based on the level of smoking bans they currently have in place.

Gold awards go to those with total bans, silver to those with smoking bans in some parts of their premises and bronze to those willing to start a ban soon.

The district council wants employers to prepare for the national ban in 2007 which will prevent smoking in pubs, clubs, restaurants, offices and factories.

Businesses signing up to the scheme in Chichester will receive awards on June 9.

Wendesday, May 24, 2006