A HOTEL chain went to court yesterday in a legal challenge to Scotland's forthcoming smoking ban as a football social club launched its own challenge.
The Swallow Group is calling for a judicial review of the law, claiming that it breaches human rights.
Its chairman, Alan Bowes, has lodged four petitions at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, seeking to delay the ban on smoking in enclosed public places, which is due to come into force on March 26.
The hotel boss, who has 800 pubs and 150 hotels under his wing across the UK, believes that setting aside designated smoking areas would be a fairer way to proceed.
He claims that the ban breaches a smoker's human right to "peaceful enjoyment of their possessions".
Mr Bowes also claims that the Scottish Executive's consultation process over the plans was flawed.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh City Football Club and one of its social club members, Brian Meachan, want the ban to be declared unlawful and to have the regulations set aside.
The club has started an action for a judicial review of the legislation at the Court of Session in Edinburgh and a judge yesterday ordered service of its petition on the Scottish ministers.
It came as new figures revealed the ban is already spurring growing numbers of smokers to seek help in quitting.
A survey of GPs has found that one in five doctors has already seen an increase in the number of patients asking about help to stop smoking.
The figures were announced by charity Cancer Research UK today, to coincide with national No Smoking Day, a traditional date for many thousands of Britain's smokers to quit.
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