Smoke-free park trialled in city

A park in Bristol is planning to join the England-wide smoking ban and go smoke-free.

Hengrove Play Park, visited by 100,000 people every year, has previously allowed smoking in its play areas.

But from Friday a pilot scheme will only allow smokers to indulge their habit in an area near the cafe.

Park manager Alberto Palmerio said: "We have had too many incidents of children being burnt or putting butts in their mouth to allow this to continue."

He added: "We also feel that the children visiting our park should be able to enjoy our facilities in a smoke-free environment while encouraging parents to protect their children from second-hand smoke."

If the ban in Hengrove is successful, other outdoor premises run by the city council may follow suit, a city council spokeswoman said.