AN MP has been barred from one of his constituency pubs – because he voted in favour of the smoking ban.

Landlord Robin Watson has even put up posters telling York Labour MP Hugh Bayley he is not welcome inside.

Mr Watson, who runs the Shoulder of Mutton, in Heworth, is still smarting over last year’s introduction of the smoking ban in pubs.

“With all the problems pubs are having, with places going down and the problems with people having to smoke outside, we just thought we should stand up against people like Hugh Bayley,”

said Mr Watson.

“I would say 80 per cent plus of my customers are smokers.”

He said his customers agreed with his stance, adding: “The point behind it is every smoker wants smoking back in pubs, I don’t know any that don’t.”

However, Mr Bayley said the Shoulder of Mutton had not expressed a view of the matter when he was consulting about the proposed ban.

“I’ve been to see pubs after the ban to find out what effect it has had and I think it’s mixed. Some have attracted more people and some are facing difficulties,”

he said. “Those difficulties are accentuated by the economic downturn which has had an impact too.

York has hundreds of good pubs and if one barsme I will go somewhere else.”