BOLTON Council is set to banish smoking in all council buildings.

Council leader Cllr Barbara Ronson today said all council buildings could become smoke-free zones within the next 12 months.

Smoking rooms would be closed and workers would only be allowed to smoke outdoor during unpaid designated breaks.

Even people attending shows and concerts at the Albert Halls would not be allowed to smoke in the bar area.

Under the proposed ban, council workers would be stopped from huddling in doorways around the town hall to smoke.

The move would mirror Manchester City Council's enforcement of a total smoking ban which was announced last week.

Cllr Ronson said: "We don't want to ban people from smoking, but we have to protect our workers."

A governernment white paper, expected to be published this autumn, could see a nationwide ban - similar to that introduced in Ireland last year - proposed.

The Irish government has outlawed smoking in all public places, including workplaces and pubs.

Cllr Ronson said town hall chiefs were already starting to look at a ban.

"If government legislation is brought in, we'll have to ban smoking and we want to be ready before then," she said.

"We've started to look at that already and it's something we want to do anyway."

But pro-smoking group Forest say the measures would be heavy handed.

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "This is another classic example of local politicians jumping on the anti-smoking bandwagon.

"Just as some workers are allowed to go for coffee breaks, smokers should be allowed to smoke in areas where they don't cause problems for other workers.

"It's just bad man management to deprive them of that.

"There's a huge amount of anti-smoking hysteria and councils like Bolton are fanning the flames."

Smokers who congregate outside coumcil buildings face being moved to designated areas to allow staff to walk past them without the risk of breathing in second-hand smoke. A special team would be drafted in to help council employees kick the habit.

The proposals have won support from leaders of the council's Labour and Conservative groups.

Labour leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: "We would like to see an example set in the town hall by our staff."

Cllr Alan Rushton, leader of the Conservatives, said: "People are beginning to accept that this will happen, but we would have to carry out a wide consultation."