CUSTOMERS at a Newport cafe are breathing easy - thanks to its new smoking ban.

Following the lead of California, New York, Ireland and Scotland, the Copper Fields Coffee Shop in Caerleon Road is now a total smoke-free zone.

Six weeks ago owners Peter and Viv Doherty decided to empty the ashtrays for the last time.

Mr Doherty told the Argus the ban was something they had been considering for a while.

He said: "As we are only a small cafe it was always difficult to separate smokers from non-smokers. So we decided that as a ban would eventually be brought in anyway, we might as well get our customers used to it soon rather than later.

"Plus we get a lot of children in here and it isn't nice for them to be breathing in other people's smoke.

"We figured if we lost a few customers because of the ban then we would probably gain a few customers, too.

Copper Fields customer Alison Battle, 36, said she hoped other Newport restaurants would follow suit. "I come here about twice a week and sometimes bring my children with me and the smoke had become a bit of a problem.

"I think a ban should be imposed everywhere, it's great to be able to eat your food without coughing and spluttering because of cigarette smoke."