PLANS to ban smoking from a town's streets are doomed to failure, a smokers' campaign group says.

Chester-le-Street District Council, in County Durham, is considering banning smoking from bars, restaurants, shops and possibly even parks and streets.

Councillor Geoff Armstrong, chairman of the council's green communities advisory and review panel, is consulting on the proposals.

But Forest, the Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco, said the council lacked the legislative powers to ban smoking from public places.

Director Simon Clark said the decision should be left to individual restaurants and pubs.

He said: "This is all hot air because the council has no powers whatsoever to ban smoking in all public areas. All they are doing is joining a long queue.

"It has become quite fashionable for local councillors and health professionals to call for a smoking ban in their area."

Sheffield, Swindon and Liverpool are all looking at becoming smoke-free zones.

Coun Armstrong said the council was looking into the legal implications of smoking bans, but thought it could be feasible with the introduction of new by-laws given that the council owns a lot of the district's land.

He said the issue has caused a storm of reaction from people and businesses both for and against the proposal.

He said: "I can't say smoking outside will be banned. It depends on what residents of Chester-le-Street say.

"I've had quite a few people say they hate people smoking in confined spaces outside, such as bus shelters, so that's something we'll probably look at."

A spokesman for the council said any plans to make Chester-le-Street a smoke-free zone would be a lengthy process.