ALMOST 50 fixed penalty notices have been handed out since the smoking ban was introduced.

The latest figures released by Stoke-on-Trent City Council reveal that more than 3,000 premises and 400 company vehicles have been checked by enforcement officers in the city since July 2007.

Of them, 99 per cent of premises were compliant with the law and 94 per cent were correctly displaying the required no-smoking signs.

Three fixed penalty notices were handed out to people caught lighting up in a smoke-free premises and another fine was given for failing to display a required no-smoking sign.

The figures come just weeks after Ruta Gebremussie, who used to run the Shisha Lounge, in Bryan Street, Hanley, became the first person in the city to be prosecuted under anti-smoking laws.

Gebremussie, aged 29, of Lower Mayer Street, Hanley, was found guilty last month of two charges of failing to prevent smoking within the Shisha Lounge on July 23 last year.

She received a means-based fine of £100 for each of the two charges, £150 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge. But landlords today said the law change had been easy to implement.

Licensee Dax Robateau, below left, welcomed smokers to The Smithfield Bar and Restaurant, in Hanley, when a council blunder meant the ban couldn't be enforced straight away in the city.

But once it came into force, Mr Robateau said customers adapted well.

He said: "The customers have been fine. We have had no problem enforcing it because we have got a good outside area for smokers to go."

Alannah Whitworth, a supervisor at the Last Orders pub, in Church Street, Stoke, added: "Customers have taken to it well and the law has been fine to enforce. It has had an impact on our trade but every pub would say that."

All the vehicles checked were displaying the necessary signs at the time of visits.

However, 45 fixed penalty notices were given out to drivers who were caught smoking in a business vehicle.

The figures have been released in a report to the city council's licensing and consumer protection committee.

It states: "The successful implementation of the legislation has created improved working conditions for many people in Stoke-on-Trent and ensured that enclosed public places are a healthier place to be."

Non-smoker Nigel Smith, of Fletcher Road, Stoke, agrees things have got better.

The 41-year-old said: "Things are better in the way that your clothes don't stink when you get back at the end of a night out."

Nationally, 98.2 per cent of all premises and vehicles inspected in England during the first 18 months of the legislation were compliant for no-smoking, and 89.3 per cent were displaying the correct signs.

During the same time period, 108 fixed penalty notices were issued across the country for failure to display the correct no-smoking signs.

Another 1,183 fixed penalty notices were issued to individuals caught lighting-up in a smoke-free place.