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• Health groups say Scots smoke ban a success 

Two new surveys by health campaigners say the Scottish smoking ban has improved trade and lured new customers to pubs three months after the stub-out.

But trade leaders say it is too early to tell the impact of the ban.

The ASH Scotland survey uses comments from trade spokesmen, quoted in newspapers, to show that predictions of job losses and a fall in trade by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) were "wide of the mark".

It quotes Mitchells & Butlers chief executive Tim Clarke saying like-for-like sales are up 5.8% at some sites

A Punch spokesman is quoted as saying "initial indications in terms of trading are positive" and new customers are visiting pubs.

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