CITY OF YORK council bosses have agreed a total ban on its staff smoking at work, in a move which will affect thousands of employees.

Union leaders labelled the move "draconian" and said the authority's 4,000 workers had not been consulted over the ban, which will come fully into force from January 1.

But members of City of York Council's ruling executive were told they should help staff members trying to give up the habit.

Their decision was welcomed by the Selby and York Primary Care trust (PCT).

The Evening Press and the PCT are behind the Yes To Clean Air campaign which calls for smoking to be banished from all workplaces.

Coun Sue Galloway, the council's executive member for health and social services, told the executive's meeting yesterday it was important that the council helped those employees wanting to give up, and all staff should be given full details of the smoking cessation programmes which the PCT operates.

Of all deaths of those aged 35 and over in the Selby and York PCT area, 30 per cent are associated with smoking.

Coun Galloway said: "I think it's rather shocking that almost a third of all deaths in Selby and York are associated with smoking.

"We should bear in mind that other authorities have gone further and banned smoking on all council-owned land, but that is not what's happening here."

Coun Carol Runciman said: "I welcome this ban in our buildings, and having been to Europe over the summer and seen how much smoking goes on there I think we can be proud that we have come as far as we have."

Out of 13 local authorities in the North East, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region, there are only five authorities, including York, which are not yet smoke-free.

Dave Bonner, Unison's deputy general convener, said: "The decision was taken to introduce this without any consultation, which does seem rather draconian.

"It's difficult because you have got to consider non-smokers, but it's not easy for a smoker to quit and there are going to be a lot of people who resent this."

Rachel Johns, the PCT's director of public health, said: "We are very pleased that the council is taking this step. I hope that with the appropriate consultation with staff, it can be implemented in a positive way."

The ban will be phased in over the coming months with a total ban coming in by January 1, 2006.

The Evening Press came together with the PCT in May to launch the first campaign of its kind to banish smoking in York, Selby and Easingwold called Yes To Clean Air and aimed at helping firms become smoke-free.

The PCT led the way by declaring that its premises, which include the Selby War Memorial Hospital, St Monica's Hospital in Easingwold and the NHS Walk-in Centre in Monkgate, York, would be completely smoke-free from October.

The Evening Press backed the scheme by closing its smoking room, while supporting smokers in their efforts to quit.