CHANGES to smoking arrangements at a popular Newton Abbot pub have sparked anger among some regulars, with one customer claiming the new arrangement is unfair and has become ‘discriminatory’.

Wyatt Balmer, who visits The Richard Hopkins almost everyday, says the decision to ban smoking and vaping from the Queen Street pub’s outdoor terrace is making life difficult for customers who struggle to access the new smoking area.

In the past few months, the Wetherspoons pub introduced restrictions on smoking and vaping on its front terrace, instead directing smokers to a newly designated area to the side of the building on King Street.

But Wyatt believes that changes are unfair on elderly customers and those with reduced mobility, who may struggle to walk around the corner to reach the new smoking area.

‘I am a regular, I go in there almost every day of the week. I’ll have two or three pints’, Wyatt said.

‘All of sudden, these signs appear saying no smoking.

‘Some people can’t walk around the corner. There’s people who use mobility scooters. In my mind, it’s become discriminatory’, Wyatt said.

The pensioner estimates that around 90 per cent of people who use the outdoor seating area were either smokers or vapers.

Wyatt told the Mid-Devon Advertiser of the difficulties faced by one elderly customer who struggles to walk unaided.

‘There is no way she can walk around the corner just to have a cigarette’, he said.

Wyatt says he has tried to raise his concerns directly with Wetherspoons, sending two or three emails requesting to speak to someone regarding the matter, but claims he has yet to receive a response.

He believes the change goes beyond simply smoking, describing The Richard Hopkins as an important social hub in Newton Abbot.

‘It’s a social hub in the town. People go there to meet, have a chat and a catch up. It just doesn’t make any sense to me’, Wyatt said.

Wetherspoons said the decision to move the smoking area was made following complaints from customers about cigarette smoke drifting into the pub.

A spokesperson for the company told the Mid-Devon Advertiser: ‘The decision to introduce a smoking area away from the pub’s front terrace was made following complaints from customers about cigarette smoke drifting into the pub.

‘As a result, we have set up a new smoking area to the side of the pub.

‘Some smokers are disappointed with the decision, while many non-smoking customers have welcomed the change and feel it has made a positive difference to their enjoyment of the pub.

‘We are monitoring the arrangement closely and listening to feedback from both smokers and non-smokers to ensure we strike the right balance and provide an enjoyable environment for everyone who visits The Richard Hopkins.

‘Ultimately, we want to make the pub as welcoming and comfortable as possible for all our customers’.