Most publicans support the smoking ban even though their takings have fallen.

A poll of 1,500 licensees for trade magazine The Publican showed 64 per cent are now in favour of the ban, compared with 57 per cent when the ban was introduced last summer.

Nearly half of those polled (48 per cent) said they strongly supported the ban, even though 52 per cent of licensees reported a fall in trade over the last year.

Only 10 per cent of landlords reported a rise in takings, while 38 per cent said business had remained the same.

Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations, said: "We saw the same thing in Ireland when, after people got over the initial problems, it was seen as the best thing that ever happened."

Industry experts have predicted many pubs will benefit from the smoking ban in the long term because of increased food sales.

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