Conwy Council in Wales is one of the first councils to fine a smoking driver under the blanket ban that was finally rolled out to all parts of the UK on 1 July.

The driver was caught smoking and fined £50 in his boss’ car, which under the framework of the legislation is deemed smoking in a place of work.

The unnamed driver is not the first to be caught by councils in Wales, where the ban was introduced on 1 April, but until now offenders not complying were issued with written warnings.

Industry pundits are now pointing to more fines and less warnings being handed out to drivers in breach of the new no smoking rules.