NORTH-EAST MPs threatened a Commons revolt last night if the Government presses ahead with plans to allow smoking to continue in non-food pubs.

Several of the region's Labour MPs are among at least 60 of Tony Blair's backbenchers demanding tougher laws to ban smoking in every pub.

They are Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham City), Frank Cook (Stockton North), Sharon Hodgson (Gateshead East), Chris Mullin (Sunderland South), Dari Taylor (Stockton South) and David Anderson (Blaydon, Newcastle).

The MPs spoke out ahead of today's second reading of the Health Bill, which will ban smoking in most public places, including restaurants and food-serving pubs, from 2007.

They are likely to allow the Bill to pass to a committee for more detailed scrutiny, but have signalled a revolt when the legislation returns to the Commons in January.

One MP predicted "fireworks" today when Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt will be forced to defend what is widely seen as a fudge before angry backbenchers.

Mr Cook said: "The Government's proposals are feeble. Smoking should not be allowed, regardless of whether a pub serves food or not.

"As someone who used to smoke 60 a day until I stopped in 1985, I know that people need an incentive to give up.

"The Government is shirking away from that."

Ms Taylor said: "We should be going for an all-out ban. The fact that 30 people die every day from passive smoking is totally unacceptable."