THE owners of a Kendal coffee shop have introduced a smoking ban on their premises in order to make it a healthier place.

Angela Leach and Trish Crosby, the joint owners of The Coffee Shop, in Kendal market, have decided to bring a no smoking rule in to the caf.

Mrs Crosby said that The Coffee Shop had not seen a down turn in custom because of disgruntled smokers since the ban had been enforced.

She said: "I think it will do us good and everybody seems really pleased. It has gone from strength to strength."

Mrs Leach said she felt that the caf had become a healthier place since the smoking ban was enforced.

She said: "We are getting more people in to eat now than before and we have had so many lovely comments."

She added: "We are seeing some quiet patches but because of the no smoking we are getting more people coming in getting drinks and going instead of customers staying for two-and-a-half hours over a coffee."

The caf owners' decision to ban smoking in The Coffee Shop was taken voluntarily but comes after encouragement from South Lakeland District Council, which wants to improve ventilation in the market hall.

Les Parkinson, assistant market officer for SLDC, said: "A ban on smoking in cafs is going to come in as a law eventually."

He added: "We have always wanted to have the ban on smoking in the market because of ventilation problems in the building."

Katie Fowden, of ASH North West (Action on Smoking and Health), has compiled a list of no smoking eating and drinking establishment in Cumbria and said that she welcomed the ban.

She said: "As far as I am aware this is the only no smoking caf in Kendal. I think that the ban at The Coffee Shop is fantastic. I hope it will set an example for other cafs in the Kendal area - after all three quarters of the population don't smoke."