Rub A Dub-Dub---Two Men In A Pub

For pub-goers who enjoy a cigarette with their drink, the British smoking ban going into effect this week will make England a very different place. So one landlord has claims to have found a loophole to fight the new law - by declaring his pub to be part of a different country.

The Wellington Arms in Southampton is set to transform itself from a public house into the official embassy for a tiny Caribbean island. If it is successful, the pub would be classified as "foreign soil", allowing smokers a haven from the smoking laws covering the rest of the UK. In theory it would then also be allowed to serve cheaper drinks because the pub would be exempt from VAT.

Earlier this month, the pub was named as the official consulate in Britain for the island of Redonda, which lies 35 miles south west of Antigua in the Caribbean. Landlord Bob Beech (right) is now making plans to upgrade the pub to an embassy to allow drinkers to continue smoking in his pub. If successful it would become the only pub in Britain where smokers can light up after July 1.

According to Mr. Beech, "We are going to apply to turn the pub into an embassy as soon as possible. I have a legal team looking into the legalities at the moment. I think we would have a lot of regulars if we get it and there would be the benefit of no VAT on the drinks so there would be no tax on beer."

Regular Edward Elder (left), an old sailing pal of the Island's king said, "I don't think anybody could stop us doing it. It would tickle me pink. We will be declaring our credentials to the Queen and will see what happens."

Yesterday a spokesman from the Department of Health confirmed that if the pub was granted embassy status then it would be exempt from next month's national smoking ban. She said: "The new smoke free law will not be enforceable against premises with diplomatic status - as recognised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

A spokesman from the Foreign Office cast doubt on the whole scheme, saying, "In accordance with the Vienna Convention the establishment of diplomatic relations between states, and permanent diplomatic missions, takes place by mutual consent. However, Redonda is the territory of Antigua and Barbuda and is therefore not entitled to have an embassy or a high commission."