1 July 2011 Last updated at 08:51 ET

Smoking ban proposed for Stony Stratford

Councillor Bartlett is annoyed at the number of cigarette butts littering the town

A Buckinghamshire town is considering banning smoking from its streets.

Councillor Paul Bartlett has proposed a new bylaw to outlaw smoking in any public place in Stony Stratford.

If the plan is approved by the town council, smokers who light up in public in the town could face on-the-spot fines.

"Stony Stratford is a historic town which is blighted by cigarette butts," said Mr Bartlett.

"The plan that I am trying to put forward is for smoking to be banned in public in the High Street, surrounding streets, and preferably elsewhere as well."

"Why should people be able to smoke in my face and spoil the environment?," he added.

Huge impact

Some publicans in the town have said a total ban on smoking would have a huge impact on their trade.

"Since the smoking ban, our customers have had to go outside to smoke," said Irene King, landlady at The White Horse public house.

"If they stop people smoking in the street then our customers won't have anywhere to go. We've already noticed that more and more people are staying at home instead of coming out to the pub."

Amanda Sandford, from the public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), has welcomed the proposal.

"Passive smoking is very unpleasant and we are already seeing the health benefits of the indoors ban with a fall in heart and lung disease.

"An unintended consequence of the indoor smoking ban is that more smokers are on the streets dropping litter and this ban would prevent that," said Ms Sandford.

If implemented, the ban would be enforced by community police officers.

The proposal will be discussed at a town council meeting in July.