Smoke-free pub profit

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon today said the first of its non-smoking outlets were outselling its other pubs.

Chairman Tim Martin, who has faced City doubts about plans to ban smoking in the firm's 650 pubs by next year, said sales at the no-smoking Wetherspoons St Albans and Exeter were "substantially higher" than the company average. But Wetherspoon's generally struggled, with pre-tax profits down 20 per cent to £22.3 million despite sales rising four per cent to £403.3 million.

In a hint of possible job cuts, the group said it was reviewing its costs and expects "significant savings" in the running of pubs and at head office.