BAR owner Tony Gover said that the smoking ban is already ruining his business. ‘On Sunday, one of our places had the worst day of takings that it has ever had,’ he said.

‘Everybody is decimated already. It’s turning out much worse than anybody thought. There has been a massive effect in some of our places with a downward trend appearing already.’

Mr Gover owns the Wayside Cheer Tavern, the Vazon Bay Hotel, the Steakhouse Bar and the Golden Lion.

He said that the reduced number of customers could not be blamed on the good weather.

He said people who chose to smoke should be allowed to do so.

‘We didn’t have more than three people sitting inside any of our bars all day on Monday and these are normally busy pubs. I had a drive round a few pubs and it looks like other places are suffering too,’ he said.

Mr Gover slammed the Health Department for instigating the ban.

‘Peter Roffey ‘Health minister’ has a lot to answer for as far as people’s civil liberties are concerned. If people want to smoke, it’s their own choice,’ he said.

Mr Gover has applied to put a smoking shelter outside the Wayside, but said that he did not think it would do much good and he expected the situation would get worse when the weather deteriorated.

‘People won’t want to stand out in the wind and rain to have a smoke. Instead they’ll stay at home,’ he said.

But another publican, David Nussbaumer, licensee of the Rockmount, said that it was too early to say whether business had been affected.

‘People are smoking outside at the moment so we’ll have to see how things shape up before we find out exactly how much of an effect it’s making,’ he said.

‘Obviously the smokers are frustrated and my sympathy does go to those who just want to come into the public bar to have a pint and a fag. But once again I think Guernsey has gone too far,’ he said.

Tracey Gallienne, joint landlady of the Venture Inn, said the pub had been quieter than usual for the first semi-final World Cup match on television.

‘I’m not sure if that was because of the ban or not. England have gone out of the World Cup so I think that has affected a lot of people’s interest.’

Takings have not been hurt, but she said the pub’s atmosphere had changed.

‘It’s totally different. A lot more people are going outside to drink and smoke. Even the non-smokers are going outside because they want to speak to the smokers as well.

‘We were left at the bar speaking to nobody, so even I went outside. I only went back in when someone wanted another drink.

‘Our locals understand. They know they can’t go anywhere else and be allowed to smoke. But we’re quite lucky that we have got a nice outside area.’

* There will be no extra police officers on the streets this weekend to enforce the ban.

‘The situation hasn’t changed as we believe the ban is likely to be self-regulating,’ said Inspector Trevor Coleman.